Encounters in Exile
by Papa Bones
Summary: Wandering in self imposed exile, former Noxus field commander Riven sees a change to lessen the guilt on her soul when she is suddenly engaged by the swordsman Yasuo. A bitter duel ensues between one fighting for survival, and the other to clear his name.
1. Chapter 1

Riven counted the coins in her pouch and sighed. The amount she had now would barely last the week. She was going to have to find a wandering peddler soon and muscle him from his coin. She hoped she could find one alone on the roads; they were easier than the ones that could afford bodyguards. A display of know-how with her sword and a lone merchant would be cowering and asking what he could give to get rid of her. The ones with guards however were a different story. Oh the cowering and offering still happened, but that usually came after slaughtering their guards.

Slaughter, what other word could be used for cleaving men in half in a single swing. Memories bubbled to the surface. Harry them the orders have been, bleed the Ionians, blood for Noxus. And she did. She commanded brothers and sisters, soldiers under her charge, to raid temples, ransack towns, and burn down villages. She commanded the killing of countless men and women who hardly knew the how defend themselves. _Some did_ _know how to fight back_ she told herself. Some, but far too few. Yet those were the orders. Harry them, bleed them, conquer Ionia. _After this is all over, perhaps we can teach them to fend for themselves_. That was what had she told herself. Every citizen of Noxus was a solider at heart, never backing down without taking three with you. Only the strong could endure the ages. Only they could never be forgotten.

"Scowling ain't gonna make my prices lower."

Riven's head came up from her revelry to face the butcher, a bald man with a round body, was staring at her impatiently with her cut of salted meats wrapped in large dried leaves, the Ionian way.

"Sorry," Riven replied, "I was thinking." and placed her coins in the butchers hand. The butchers face turned from impatience to smiles as he accepted her coins and handed her purchase.

"You look weary traveler," the butcher replied "my cousin happens to own an inn, I'm sure you'll-"

"I don't plan on staying long." Riven cut in, placing what she had bought in her satchel containing her other supplies. Swinging it over her shoulder and pulling the hood of her cloak up, she walked off. Besides her travelling cloak, Riven wore a travel worn coat whose sleeves only covered her shoulders and a pair of equally worn breeches. Almost everything she wore right now was paid by stolen coin. This was her life now, earning end's meat by banditry and wandering the countryside of Ionia, a country whose people would kill her on sight if they knew she was ' a blood hungry, rot souled Noxian'. She heard that from a drunk three towns back.

Two years she had been living like this. Two years since Noxus failed to occupy Ionia. Two years since she and her fellow brothers in arms were left for dead, abandoned, on orders from High Command. Two years of wandering aimlessly, looking for …something.

 _Bleed me dry_ , she thought, not for the first time, _but it all had to for something, all that death had to lead to something. Anything!_ She did not just mean the deaths of her own soldiers. All the blood she shed, the needless slaughter of the defenseless, something good had to come out of their suffering, something had to come from the ashes.

"FILTHY NOXIAN!"

Riven's head sprang up, her hand going towards the handle of her sword tied across her back. The blade itself had a single edge and appeared to be broken off, a fragment of a much greater whole. Fragment though it was, it was still long as her arm and nearly half as wide. And just as deadly as any regular whole blade.

When her hand gripped the sword handle she realized that there was no murderous mob rushing to cut her down, rather the mob she saw was crowding the town square, some she saw were hurtling stones and rotten food at a procession.

"No need to be afraid," Riven swiveled her head to the side where the voice came from. The women beside her, she looked to be in her middle years, had a startled expression, whether from Riven reaching for her sword or her turning to the voice at a break neck speed she was not sure. "those rogues are in good hands now, capable hands. Brought in by Captain Bou himself. Took thirty of the town guards to capture those fiends." Riven slowly nodded, noting that the prisoners were guarded by a party of twenty not counting the captain. _Noxians? Here?_

"Is there another invasion?" Riven asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Invasion! Spirits above no!" the women exclaimed, scandalized. "These brigands are leftovers from the last one, or so I heard." She said.

"Terrible times these are" a man beside the women said. "Bloodthirsty ninjas creeping in the shadows, evil powers tearing mountains from the ground, and now those scum sucking Noxian rats crawling from the south." The man spat to the side.

"I have not heard of any Noxians in Ionia after the last invasion" Riven replied casually. She eyed the procession more closely now. Ten prisoners, ten Noxians, their hands bound together and being led by who she assumed to be this Bou character. "Where is Bou taking them?"

"Bah, I heard those filth licking, roach breeding Noxians that were left behind spend their days being bandits in the southern provinces. Things must be going downhill in the world to have them spread up here." The man eyed Riven suspiciously. "What rock have you been living under, outlander?" the man asked accusingly.

"Clearly not that boulder where you found that pox ridden tongue To Bin." The women replied. To Bin glared at her briefly before switching his focus back onto Riven

 _This one probably looks for trouble as a lifestyle._ Riven thought, _best answer carefully_. She never thought herself good in talking around subjects, that was a thing for the aristocracy, not soldiering. "I have been travelling the northern provinces." She said, and meeting the man's gaze until he lowered his head to spit on the ground and kept it lowered. "Where is Bou taking them?" she repeated to the women. The crowd of watching the procession thinned, some returning to their daily lives, others following the procession, still heckling the prisoners.

"Why, to the execution grounds."

"Why not just hang them here and be done with it?" Riven asked her eyes following the hecklers.

The women sighed, "You outlanders, too much blood has been spilt in our homes during the war with Noxus. Too much innocence lost," Riven winced, "best not to remind people of that unpleasantness by spilling more in the middle of our homes."

"You can't make people forget the past." Riven said disapprovingly, "Your town will still remember that they killed Noxians here, whether or not it happened in town. Just like how they won't forget the war."

To Bin scowled something about bile filled Noxian blood not seeping into the towns soil while stalking off, surprisingly away from the heckling crowd. "I take it you're not going to see this execution either then?" Riven asked the woman.

The woman waved her at the hecklers like swatting a fly. "I have better things to do with my time then watching some lost soldiers get hanged," the woman replied and nodded her head towards Riven, "Safe travels to you outlander." She said and walked off.

Riven pulled her hood up and began following the sound of hecklers after a moment. _Other Noxians. Leftovers from the invasion._ Well she certainly had nothing better to do with her time. When she caught up to the procession she melded into the crowd.

The wandering swordsman Yasuo woke up to a prodding to his side, and a headache that felt like his skull was strangling his brain. He opened his eyes with a groan and the shape of a man over him silhouetted over the sun. The light surrounding the man hurt his eyes. _Must be past noon,_ he thought.

"Stranger," the shape said, "if you don't get out of the way now I will bet the guards to throw you out."

"I'm going, I'm going." Yasuo said, getting up ,slowly, from under the tree he was sleeping under and tying his sword back onto his belt. When he was on his feet, his body stiffened at the sight of armed men behind the shape that spoke to him. It has been two weeks since Yasuo had to fend off the last group of bounty hunters and wandering vagabonds thinking they could collect the reward on his head. Fifty thousand gold dragons were placed on him for slaying the Elder he was sworn to protect, except he had not.

Instead, Yasuo had abandoned his post as honor guard and went to fight against the Noxian invaders. Sword in his hand he unleashed the long lost technique he had all but mastered. Wielding the wind as a weapon, he raised walls of gales, deflecting their arrows and bolts. With his sword, he sent torrents of miniature whirlwinds that could cut flesh and send bodies flying in the air. When he came back to the town his charge was stationed at, he had learned that the Elder had been slain, by someone who could use the wind as a weapon. Naturally, the blame fell on him, who was the last to have mastered the lost art in living memory in all of Ionia. Except, now there was another who could. He was sure of it. And so, Yasuo the prodigal student, master swordsman of the wind, was branded as a traitor. Himself, he went into self-imposed exile, looking for the true killer to clear his name and bring the guilty to justice.

Yasuo almost pulled his sword out then before realizing the crowd behind the armed men and the man that spoke to him, he decided he was the towns Elder and the town guard. Between the armed guards was a train of men and women with their hands bound behind their backs. They looked like they had rotten fruit and small rocks thrown at them and from their defeated looks, they ready for death. Behind them, an angry crowd was murmuring angrily, no doubt the source of the pelting. _An execution_ , Yasuo thought, as he made his way into the crowd.

He had not taken two steps from the tree and the Elder began telling the armed men, the guards, to set up the ropes and the stand the ladder against the tree. He looked at the crowd, grim satisfaction forming on their faces. _Pit swallow me, they are_ all _eager for this execution. Just who are these prisoners to get such hate these people?_

Noxians, Yasuo answered to himself, it was the only answer. That left his tongue felling like a briar in his mouth, which already felt like sand when he woke up. Not that they were hanging Noxians, but the fact that the crowd, and the Elder for that matter, seemed to be eager to watch the prisoners hang. Before the invasion, Ionians were reputed to be a people who always found peace of mind. It saddened him to see his fellow countrymen find such entertainment in this killing. He reached for the bottle behind his back and took a swig of what was left of the spirit in it. Yasuo heard someone in the crowd say that he had the right idea, drinking to this event. The strangers' words made Yasuo take another swig. When the bottle touched his lips, he heard the order for the first prisoner to climb up the ladder. Ten prisoners. It was going to be a long day for them. When Yasuo was nearly at the end of the crowd, he felt the tingling sensation on his neck causing the hairs to stand up followed by a scream. More than one scream.

Yasuo dropped the bottle and spun towards the tree he was walking away from, hands grasping on the hilt of his sword and its scabbard. He did not know why he turned to face the tree, the tingling gave no sense of direction, but instinct drove him to face the tree. The crowd he was in started to run away, the people attempting to push him out of their way but he stood his ground, which was an effort since the screaming was not helping his hangover. What he saw was a sight to behold.

Under the tree, the first prisoner was at the top of the ladder, hands bound and the noose around his neck. He wore a face of surprise, everyone did, prisoners and guards all. Beside the tree stood the town Elder and what appeared to be the captain of the guardsmen, judging from the red plume on his helmet.

Ten paces from the tree stood two rows of guards, one row of ten guarding the prisoners and another row facing towards the crowd, or where the crowd was running from. At one end of the row nearest to the crowd Yasuo's was a women clad in rough traveling clothes, and falling from her was the bisected corpse of a guardsman. But what his eyes locked onto was the sword she carried, a black monstrosity etched with glowing green symbols as tall as the white haired women wielding it and as wide as his forearm was long. How under the sun did no one notice this outsider carry that hulking slab of a blade? How could she have swung that thing at all? All that occurred in one moment, the next moment he felt the tingling he had felt earlier intensify. He stared in wonder, eyes following the black blade, as the women slashed her way through the guards, advancing towards the tree.

From the blade, Yasuo saw the green glow intensify and the air rippled around it. No, the air was wrapping itself around the blade. That was all he could make out for when the women slashed her blade across, he saw the air around the blade shoot forth as a glowing green crescent, severing the heads of guardsmen in its path and the prisoners noose.

. _A blade of wind_ , Yasuo thought, his mind emptying. All this time, searching for the one that could use the wind like a weapon, the one who murdered his Elder. _She's trying to free the prisoner. She must be from Noxus. And she can use the wind?!_ The emptiness of his mind was suddenly filled with a singular determination. He was going to capture this mysterious swordsman, this women that can wield the wind, and he will see justice given.

 _I_ will _clear my name._

Riven stood in the middle of the crowd, watching as the town Elder gave orders for the first prisoner to ascend the ladder. The crowd began murmuring eagerly, waiting to see the first corpse dangle. The occasional 'Death to Noxus!' came but she blotted that out. Riven was studying the guards watching over the prisoners, twenty guardsmen in two rows, six or seven paces between the lines. The prisoners were clustered up in front of the farthest row of guards, each waiting their turn to wear a noose. She eyed the archers in that row. There were four of them, two on either ends, the rest of the guards were spearmen.

 _Those archers will be my top priority, can't have them shooting arrows at the prisoners when they make a run for it._ She thought, setting her satchel down and pulling out a metal gauntlet. Riven looked at the crowd through the corner of her eye. Thankfully, the people around her were far more interested with the hanging then her. She fastened the gauntlet on her hand and pulled her cloak over it. The thing was terribly conspicuous. It had a rune inscribed on the back of it and its grandiose size made her hand seem twice as large, yet strangely it felt like wearing a second skin to her. The first prisoner was halfway up the ladder now.

 _Now or never Riven_ , she thought to herself while wading through to the front of the crowd. With each step memories came back to her. Memories of getting caught in a trap set by the Ionians. Her soldiers overwhelmed yet fighting with all their might to break the ambush. Riven requesting for reinforcements to aid their position. That request was met by High Command releasing chemical weapons from Zaun on the battlefield, killing Ionians and Noxians all. The entire battlefield covered in a green fog with the sounds of soldiers gasping for air, screaming from the agony of feeling their insides burn within them.

Names of the dead began listing themselves off in her head.

 _Adin, Cera, Tess, Jerico, Brett, Logen,…._

To this day, after waking the next morning in that putrid field of corpses not even the carrions would touch, Riven still did not know how she had survived, but she had come to a conclusion that day. High Command had abandoned them. People, who had fought and bled for their country, who had more than proven themselves to be loyal to every order no matter how heinous and cruel they were, had been abandoned.

… _Luc, Fala, Kreig, Dall,…_

 _I will save them._

… _Cin, Dav, Brenden, Willum, …_

 _I will_ not _abandon them_.

Nearly at the front of the crowd, Riven's gauntleted hand went to her sword hilt. The list of names became a murmuring chant in the back of her head as she focused her thoughts on an image of her sword. She imagined the broken weapon floating in darkness, the only source of light was the green glow from the singular rune on the broken blade.

The chanting names grew faster

… _Dern, Rob, Ivon, Gabrin, Sten…_

 _I am a solider._

In Riven's mind, the glow around the sword began to pulsate.

She sped up her pace, pulling people behind her as she advanced to the front of the crowd.

 _I am a weapon. I am the blade._

The glow began to pulsate faster as the chanting became a crescendo.

… _Havic, Gells, Franz, Hert, Bower, Val..._

Riven broke into a sprint, dashing through the rest of the crowd, beginning to pull her sword out.

 _I am not broken._

The pulsating glow erupted into blazing light.

Riven dashed out from the crowd into the first row of guards, unsheathing her blade. At that moment, the image in Riven's mind and the reality became one and the same. The broken sword she wore was whole once more. As tall as her, the single edged black stone runeblade emitted a green light from the runes carved on it. Riven brought the blade down with both hands, bisecting the spearman at the end of the first row, separating shoulder from neck in an angled slash. The names sounded in her head like a gong.

… _Don, Wilhelm, Fen._

The crowd screaming was background noise to her as Riven pivoted, turning the blade in her hands, separating the shocked spearman beside her, his torso separated from his waist. Another guard charged at Riven, screaming as he thrust the spear towards her. She leapt to the side evading him, spinning herself to face the archers on landing and began to dash towards them.

The archers began to raise their bows when Riven was halfway to them. _A blade of wind_ , she thought to herself and felt currents of air wrap around her greatsword, preparing for her next strike. Riven slashed the air across in front of her, and shooting out from her blade came a green crescent as sharp as a razor. The crescent projectile severed the archers heads at an angle and continued on flowing, cutting the noose of the Noxian on the ladder and pruning the treetop behind him.

Arms feeling hollow from the Wind Slash, Riven let out a "RUN!" as spearmen began encircling her.

"Qi, Han, Ing, protect the Elder! Gao, Wen, do not let the prisoners escape!" the guard captain shouted. Three of the spearmen retreated backwards, escorting the Elder to safety as the remaining two archers began to nock their arrows as the bounds Noxians began to sprint away from the scene.

With a yell, Riven charged forward, adrenaline filling the hollow feeling in her arms. Three spearmen in front of her stepped up from their formation ready to skewer her. Not stopping, Riven leaped forward, whirling herself and her sword full circle. Just as the spearmen began to thrust their spears out, the end of the greatsword came across their necks. Heads falling from bodies, Riven made another mad dash on landing, heading straight for the archers. They had already loosed when she dismembered one and split the other in two. She hoped they had missed.

That was the only thought she had when she felt a vibration go down through her sword arm. By reflex, Riven jumped back, as far as her legs could carry her. She did not know why she had and for the next moment, time slowed for her. In midair, she saw a shimmer in the air pass through where she had stood feeling only what can be described as the edges of invisible blades just brushing her face as the shimmer passed.

Landing, she saw a trail of torn up grass and settling dust in the air going through where she stood. It made her think that a miniature tornado had come through. Looking for the cause, she saw a swordsman in a torn blue tunic exposing his abdomen with what looked like a bush tied to the back of his head come at her. The swordsman thrust his blade out. Riven met the thrust with the broad side of her sword, using it the shield the thrust. The force of impact made her slide back and she felt a crack grow on her sword where the strangers' blade had collided with.

 _Who in the bloody-_. That was all she had time to think as the swordsman came at her again, bringing his sword down. Riven raised her blade to meet the blow, and felt the strangers sword chip her own again. Anger flowed through her. Not once, but twice this man had marked her sword. Her plan seemed so simple, distract the guards, free the Noxians, and continue on her way to self-imposed exile. Riven pushed back the mysterious swordsman and leaped back putting distance between them. The man assumed a neutral stance, ready to either defend or strike out. This was going to be a long day.

"Get your men out of here captain and bring reinforcements!" Yasuo yelled, watching the white haired women as they circled each other. Despite the white hair, she seemed fairly young. "You are outmatched!" He did not want to chance one of the guards spearing her. He needed her alive.

"Who are you to order me stranger. I –"

"Pit swallow you man! She just minced nine of your men! Get out and-!" was all he got out when the white haired women leaped for him, greatsword going for his neck. Blocking the sudden blow sent Yasuo off his feet. Landing on his back, he rolled to the side just in time as the white haired women brought her blade down, stabbing the ground.

 _Too close_ , Yasuo thought getting up into a crouch, preparing to spring out and strike at her.

Just as he was about to advance, he was forced to jump back in opposite direction as the women ripped out her sword from the earth, sending clumps of dirt and grass flying towards where his face had been and landing at his feet where he had landed. Again the women rushed at him, bringing her sword down. Yasuo parried the blow, and felt again as his blade chipped hers. He followed up with a trust to her shoulder but the women recovered quickly, knocking his sword off target with an upward slash.

Again and again they exchanged blows. Yasuo deflected every slash the women made towards him, every stab he evaded to the side and responded with strike of his own. Yet the women kept up easily. Each swipe he made was met with a parry, every thrust met the flat side of her sword.

Since starting the duel, Yasuo believed that the woman's sword would eventually break from all the cracks he made in it. How wrong he was. The nicks he made on the greatsword would mend themselves, black fragments of stone seemed to form out of thin air and coalesce on the blade. The worst part of it all was that as the fight dragged on, he felt the woman's sword grow harder, each of his strikes were leaving smaller and smaller cracks on her blade. If it was any consolation, he saw that his opponent was getting as winded as he was. Then again, that look of determination in her amber eyes only intensified.

Yasuo dodged another of the woman's decapitating strikes, cursing at how close he nearly lost his head. Did he dare try to stall out this fight until the town guard came with reinforcements? Dare he risk them killing her? He slashed to the woman's flank but she blocked it easily with the broad side of her sword. He gave another curse in his head. Not a scratch this time. He gave himself another curse on realizing that had it hit, he would have cleaved her in two. _I need to bring her in alive dammit._ The women made an uppercut, forcing him to jump back.

 _No, can't wait anymore. I have to end this now or die trying_.

With a nothing left to lose, Yasuo thrust his sword out like a coiled spring. The women used her sword as a shield again, blocking his blade. He felt air currents wrap around his blade. There was surprise in the woman's eyes as he thrust his blade out again not a second after the previous causing her to slide back a few paces off.

Yasuo retreated back and sheathed his sword. He felt the air being churned around him and his weapon, ready to unleash a storm. _If the wind is her weapon, then she will survive this._ He told himself. He hoped it would be so. As if to reaffirm his beliefs, he felt the same tingling he had felt earlier when that women unleashed that destructive green crescent. It brought a smile to his face, and if it threw her off, all the better.

 _May the quickest draw win._

He brought his blade out in a sheath strike. The women slashed across the air.

He felt the churning air be ripped from around him and from his slash, a raging whirlwind, the Steel Tempest, flew out towards its target, leaving a trail of dust and cut grass in its wake. Steel Tempest collided the green crescent and the two forces seemed to fuse into one another and then repulse.

Yasuo instinctively sliced the air in front of him, erecting a shimmering gray veil, the Wind Wall. He had used the same technique to take cover from arrow volleys and it stood true like any wall of stone, yet now it seemed to waver, like a curtain in the breeze. He heard multiple impacts be made on his Wall, like thousands upon thousands of slashes bombarding his cover. Some of the force from the repulsion even managed to seep through, forcing Yasuo to brace himself for fear of losing balance.

At the end of the barrage, Yasuo dispersed the Wall and stared with bulging eyes. Around and in front of him, he saw that the ground has been reduced to bare dirt. The grass that had once covered it was now drifting in the air alongside motes of dust and soil. Walking through the mote of dust and minced grass, he crossed the epicenter and noticed that deep swirls were carved into the ground, extending to the edges of the bared ground.

Yasuo focused on his attentions ahead. A figure stood behind the settling dust and grass, her sword in the ground and it's wielder on her knees. The search ends today.

 _Stupid women._ Riven thought to herself as she clung to the sword. _Should have just ran the other way when that bush headed idiot sheathed his sword._ Her body felt battered and exhausted, no surprise after that prolonged duel and being blown away after her Wind Slash met with the strangers little tornado. She doubted she could swing her greatsword anymore and still be a credible threat. The only thing that kept her from being thrown farther was that bit of quick thinking in planting her sword in the ground as an anchor, fat lot of good that done. The worst part of that experience was the feeling of tiny little blades being sliced across her. None of the cuts were deep but how it had hurt, like thousands of paper cuts all across her body. No doubt her hair got a good deal shorter from that ordeal.

She started to get up from her crouch when she felt steel on the back of her neck. Looking up beside her slowly she saw the strange swordsman standing over her. She almost laughed. She had hoped this man would have been blown away. At second glace, she noticed that the man did seem to suffer any of the cuts or bruises she had. Whoever this person was, he had more tricks then that tornado shooter.

"Release your sword." The man said. "Or lose the arm."

"Do you have a thing against killing women?" She asked the man, staring defiance into his eyes. "Or do you simply enjoy maiming them." Goading him was probably the worst thing to do in this situation, but meekly submitting seemed less favorable still.

He scowled, "I mean to take you in alive. Last chance the sword or the arm."

Riven scoffed "Take me in alive? For what? Hold a trial for me? I doubt the sentence will be anything else but death." She laughed grimly. Wanted her alive did he, there may be hope of escape yet.

"I warned you." The man said, moving the sword away from her neck to raise it above his head.

At that moment, Riven expelled the image of the unbroken sword from her mind. The blade of her greatsword crumbled to dust until only the broken fragment she had carried remained. As the strangers blade descended, Riven dashed to the side, stumbled actually. Getting up from the ground, she turned around to face her pursuer.

The man rushed towards her, laying a flurry of slashes down on her, it was she could do to block them with her broken sword. Her resistance had not lasted long when he drove her to drop her sword. Panting, Riven looked up as the man swung his sword down on her. Taking her gamble, she raised her gauntleted hand and grabbed the man's blade, stopping it in mid arc.

Sword arm numb from the shock now, Riven let go of the man's blade, leaped the gap between them, and punched him on the side of his temple with her ungloved off hand. The man went down without a word.

Collapsing onto the ground, Riven took down deep breathes of air. A risky gambit that, dropping her sword and using her hand to block the strangers attack. Had she been as exhausted as she faked, a second slower in reflexes and she could have lost an arm. But damn the man had been good. Shame she could not have gotten the warriors name. Sounds of horns and horses made her remember about the town guards. Reinforcements had come.

Getting up, Riven walked towards where she had dropped her sword. Picking it up, she considered stabbing the unconscious stranger where he laid. The man wanted her alive for some reason, most likely to bring her to trial. Could the man know who she was? Could he have been hunting for her? If so, for how long? Stabbing him now would be prudent. Ultimately, she decided against it. There had been enough death for today, and she found it unlikely the man could track her.

So, Riven ran for the hills, back into exile.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting back against a rock, Yasuo watched the setting sun through the forest. He wore a brown vest over a dark green shirt along with a blue scarf covering the lower part of his face and a pair of baggy dark blue trousers.

Beside him ran a river as wide as five paces with two horses drinking from it without a care in the world. One was a brown mare that its previous owner had named Kicks after her habit to frisk about before each mounting. Beside it stood an albino mare smaller then Kicks that went by the name White, a bit obvious bit that was her owner's decision. The brown and his new clothes had been a gift to him from the Elder. In his head he recounted the past nine days since he had lost the white haired women.

Waking up from what felt like an eternity, Yasuo's heart began to race his eyes studied his surroundings. He was in a strange room stripped to nothing but his undergarments lying down on a floor mattress. This seemed like the start to a bad joke. At least he had blankets covering his indecent state.

His last memories were of him capturing the white haired women, seeing her sentenced to death and his brand of bring a traitor lifted. No, that was a dream. Really recalling this time, he remembered dueling the white haired women, then getting her fist planted onto the side of his head. That had been a little over noon. Judging from the light coming out of the window, it was dusk.

 _Damn, I was out for a while. I swear, if I was caught while down and thrown in here to rot, I'll…_

The thought trailed as he reassessed his situation. If he was a prisoner, he highly doubted they would have given him the warm blanket and leave him with his sword in the same room. That and a clean robe to wear placed beside it. No, he was most definitely not a prisoner, unless the people in this town treated prisoners like guests. Getting up from the mattress, he dawned on the bed robe when he heard voices on the other side of the sliding door.

"Mara what are you doing standing in the hall way like a stump?" came an elderly women's voice.

"Nothing! I was just seeing if-" a younger voice said when it was cut off by a girl's voice, telling the former off.

"Mara was ogling at the hero!"

"Shush you little-!"

"Enough! Both of you get your grandfather here and get to bed or so help me, I'll knit your eyes shut so neither of you can ogle anything ever again!"

From the other side of the door Yasuo heard two hurried "Yes grandmother!" as he was sliding the window open, ready to sneak out wearing the bed robe and holding his sword. He had no intention in staying longer then he had too. Besides, the elderly women sounded like the overprotective type. If she did believe her granddaughters were 'ogling' him, there was a good chance she might do something worse than sewing eyes to him.

 _Wouldn't be the first women to try to kill me._

Ready to drop his sword out the window and follow after it, Yasuo stopped when he heard the door slide open. Pulling his sword back into the room, he turned to meet the frustrated looking wrinkled women.

"Excuse me mistress, I was just about to leave. I don't want to cause any trouble." He always said the last part to when facing dangerous looking individuals. Most of the time it seemed to invite trouble regardless.

"Whether or not you wanted to cause trouble you caused it regardless. The entire town is talking about the hero of the execution, and will continue for a very long time." Spat the old women, coming closer with finger waging at him. Hero? Well at least it was better than the alternatives swimming around in his head.

Finger pointing up to his face, the women hissed "I know who you are swordsman, and sooner or later the rest of the town will connect the dots. And when word spreads that Yasuo the Elder killer, Yasuo the Unforgiven was here being harbored by the town, the Ruling Council will have my husband's head!"

"Tyela, I appreciate your concern," said the figure in front of the open doorway. He recognized him, the speaker was the town Elder. "but I believe I can handle the Council's questioning. Besides, our guest here must be hungry, and you sent the Mara and Lian to their rooms it seems. They mentioned something about sewed eyes." The last part he added with an amused smile to the older women.

She faced the Elder saying "It will teach them to not goggle at every well-built man they come across." Turning back to Yasuo she said. "And if nothing else, I guess you do deserve a full belly after fighting off that horrible vagabond." And left the room, leaving only Yasuo and the Elder.

"I hope she didn't give you too much of a hard time. Please sit, I wish to express my gratitude." The Elder said, kneeling onto the ground.

Still standing, Yasuo said, "I thank you for taking me in, but I really need to leave. The attacker from earlier-"

"Is being tracked as we speak, and it will be night soon. I doubt you could catch up to her

with the remaining light. Come sit, my wife will be back with some food."

Yasuo scowled under his breath. The Elder was right, he wouldn't be able to do much tracking at this hour yet the women was getting farther away with each minute. _If nothing else at least I'll have a full belly on her._ He doubted she would be so fortunate.

"I thank you for your hospitality," he said, sitting across from the Elder. "I'll be out of your hair tonight after the meal. It'll be like I was never here."

"I'm not so cold hearted to throw you out so soon. No, you have my blessings to stay under my roof for as long as you want. Though I am going to assume you will leave at first light tomorrow?"

He nodded. "I thought as much. Come the morning you'll have new clothes to travel in, supplies and a horse. I will not take anything less than acceptance. The whole town pitched in after all."

Yasuo's eyes widened. "Why? You know who I am. You know I am a wanted criminal."

"Would a criminal of your reputation go head long into a fight with a stranger who just slaughtered a handful of armed men? No, from what I saw today, I believe that the charge was mistaken." The Elder said as his wife entered with a steaming tray of food. The aromas made Yasuo's stomach grumble. The tray held half a carcass of roasted duck with a large bowl of rice and a side of green vegetables. How long has it been since he could eat without worrying that some soul would recognize his face and collect on his head?

"Well I do hope that you'll enjoy Tyela's cooking as much as I do." The Elder said, getting up from the ground. "I have some things to take care of. Remember you are welcome to stay the night." He said as Tyela placed the tray before Yasuo.

"If I see one of those girls sneak into this room, you can be sure that you will not survive the stay." The Elders wife said leaving the room.

The sound of a branch being snapped brought Yasuo out of his revelry. He went to reach for his sword when he spotted a figure in a dark colored vest and pants armed with a bow slung across a shoulder come up towards him and stopped, resting back against the rock.

The figure coming up was in actuality a youth of sixteen years by the name of Feros. He had been waiting for Yasuo just outside the Elder's front door on the day he was leaving the town. At first he thought that the he was just going to lead him to the horse that was promised but it soon became clear that the lad also intended to accompany him.

At first he refused. When the youth said that he was one of the best trackers in town, Yasuo said he wasn't half bad himself. When he said that he'll take care of Yasuo's equipment, he told him to go play solider with someone else. On and on it went. Feros would offer a service to Yasuo and he would firmly refuse him all the while leading him to the stables that held his horse, or rather, leading him astray from the stables.

When he caught onto Feros's plan he berated him for being an immature brat for delaying him in such a way and was leaving him to find the stables himself.

"My sister was killed." Feros had said, and Yasuo stopped to look back at the youth.

"She was one of the guards at the execution the other day," he continued, picking up speed as he went. "and I heard that you were the only one that fought against the swordsman and lived to tell about it. I should have told you outright first but... I know killing her won't bring my sister back to life but… Dammit all, I just can't sit here knowing that her killer is free out there! Damn you! You can't stop me from following you!"

Feros's face then had been a contorted image of pain, grief and anger.

 _Who am I to deny him this?_ Yasuo had thought. So he let the boy follow, after he made it clear to him that he intended to bring in white hair alive for trial and justice much to the boy's dismay, but he conceded.

"Well I got good news and bad news boss, which do you want to hear first?" Feros asked when he approached Yasuo. The lad knew who Yasuo was; he made sure he did before setting off together.

He had warned him that he had a bounty on his head and that people would find no qualms to kill the boy to get to Yasuo. Feros responded with an 'got it boss' with no hint of mockery. At least the lad took the danger seriously. For extra precautions, Yasuo asked for Feros to call him Dao when in town, having an armed man call another 'boss' made them seem out to be two roaming villains in his eye.

"Let's start with the good."

"Well, I found that she had made a camp not so far from here, about a two hour walk west of here." He said, pointing to the direction. That brought a grimace to his face.

On the first day, they had followed the women's tracks west and south to a small copse in a forest where the ground was littered with corpses of the Elders tracking party. The bodies of the fallen had cuts that went through bone, leaving large crevices of rended flesh on them. Even the hounds were not able to get away from the slaughter with their mangled necks. Feros had wretched at the sight.

On closer inspection, Yasuo saw a trail of blood lead away from the site of the carnage. The trail of blood was small but it followed the white hair's tracks. At least the party had wounded her however small.

The days following they learned from the tracks that the women rested little while traveling either west or south, always switching between the two directions, always on the move in an attempt to outrun any pursuers. The fact that she kept mostly to the uneven wilderness slowed them down considerably. The danger of having their horses' trip in an unseen hole and breaking their necks for a little more speed was an unnecessary risk.

"And the bad news?"

Feros looked at Yasuo sullenly. "I, um… well, I lost the trail."

"What!" Yasuo said jumping up. Why did he let this boy tag along?

"The tracks ended by the roadside!" the youth said hurriedly, raising both his arms up to ward off Yasuo's fury. "She must have hitched a ride on a wagon, to try to throw us off but I know where she will be." He finished even faster than how he had started.

"Oh? Do tell how you know that."

"Well, if she continued on the road heading south then there's only one town that it passes through, so we go into town and ask if anyone saw a white haired woman with a broken sword."

Yasuo stood there thinking, arms crossed and chin down. She could have went south on the road but just as likely she could have taken a cart north, back the way she came. The trail they had been following led them well away from any visible roads so she could have doubled back without them ever knowing.

"Is there a town closer south or north of the road?"

"South I think." Feros replied. "If she did take a cart, it'll probably take her a couple of days."

He raised an eyebrow. South he _thinks_? Well once they get on some even ground they can finally put these horses to work and get there within the day if they really pushed them.

"We follow the road south till we hit a town then we'll ask around. Remember to keep a low profile we're in there."

 _Soon._ He thought as he and Feros led their horses out of the forest towards the south road.

Heading east, Riven climbed the top of the hill to get a view of the area under the noonday sun. It had been a grueling ten days since rescuing those Noxians from their executions. She had spent the journey sticking to the uneven forest terrain to lose anyone tracking her or at the very least slow them down. Surviving off of nothing but small forest rodents that left her hunger unsated, she was tempted to go into the next town but she had no coin at all on her. So she was stuck with a tattered cloak and ragged clothes infused with dirt and her sweat.

She had considered robbing the cart driver that let her ride with him but that hardly seemed a fair response to his goodwill. So she rode with him until they were a day away from the nearest town. That was when she decided to part ways with the driver. He gave her a questioning look when she told him her intentions to change her path towards the east, telling her that she would meet nothing but hills for miles without end.

 _He was right_ , Riven thought when reaching the apex of the hill.

Facing eastwards, the hills continued to roll on off to the horizon with small groves dotting the troughs of the falling crests and mossy boulders sparsely scattered on hill tops. To the north she the forested mountain range she had passed through, her hand easily able to cover the top of it now. To the south and west the hills continued to roll onwards. She truly felt isolated here, at peace even.

 _Dav, Roe, Galla, Triss, Cin…_

 _No, not at peace._ Riven thought sadly, dropping her sachel bag and falling backwards as the list of names sounded off in her head.

That was a mistake. On landing, the shock sent pain flying to the wounds on her calf and the space between her collar and shoulder. She had gotten those when a tracking party caught up to her. She had been digging up a satchel when she heard the hounds. It was only minutes later when the entire party showed up, ten men and three hounds. Exhausted as she was then, she still managed to slay them all but not without getting at least two arrows stuck in her.

Sucking in air, she sat up rubbing the reopened wound next to her shoulder, feeling the wetness through crusted cloth. Feeling a dampness on her leg, she looked down and saw a trickle of red flow from her injured calf.

 _Bloody axes_. She thought, looking through her bag for any spare cloth to change the wrappings. There was nothing inside except string for snares and bits of armor she deigned to keep going into exile. The bits she had kept included her runed gauntlet, a spiked green pauldron and one greave.

Taking off her cloak, she cut a two stretches of it with her sword and began changing the wrappings on her wounds, all the while thinking on where to go next. She really only had two directions to choose from, east or south. If she continued east the driver had said that ten more days of walking and she would hit a road going north and south. South from here and she would eventually hit a river in five days.

"It's getting rather hectic down south miss. Peddlers getting robbed, villages getting raided here and there. Well, I suppose you'll be fine if you know how to use that sword but still, folks are tending to travel in groups now and avoid night travel the way I hear things. You be careful if south is where you're going"

 _Noxians gone brigand_. Riven thought, recounting on the drivers last words to her. How many soldiers have been left after the war? How many abandoned by the homeland? How organized are they? _Are_ they organized? She doubted that they all were. If they had been, they would have made some effort to leave this foreign country. As for their numbers she had no way in guessing. She had only seen a group of ten so far and did not know whether that was a large or small size.

 _Stop thinking about that._ She told herself as the final name sounded in her head. _I can't do anything for them. It's out of my hands, let them they do what they have to too survive_. Even if it meant raiding villages? She remembered what her raids had been like.

Dividing her company into groups of fifty to strike at multiple towns, burning down their homes, taking what they could from their granaries, and slaying the ones that were too slow to escape. Dissatisfaction at how little they resisted turned to reluctance to carry out the orders to burn down entire townships. The maneuver caused refugees to flee northwards, taking shelter in holdfasts or temples. Eventually when enough towns had been hit, these safe havens became so flooded with refugees that they could barely sustain holding them. If the commoners did not die to a Noxian blade, they would die from starvation.

"There's no way that could happen now." She told no one in particular, tightening the bandage on her leg. Still, a raid was a raid, big or small, and it left broken homes and stolen food. And death.

Jumping up from the ground, Riven slung her satchel behind her back and began moving eastwards looking for a place to set up camp and trying to take in the view. She stopped periodically to set up her snares near small groups of trees that looked promising to yield some game and gathering kindling and pieces of wood into her bag. On one snare that she was setting up her eyes came up to stare directly into the eyes of a black snake banded in browns and dark greens. She backed away slowly from the thing, slowly unsheathing her blade then slamming the thing down onto the snakes head, decapitating it.

 _Perhaps I should stay here forever_. Musing at her catch, she tucked the headless snake into her bag, trying to think about anything but south.

When she stopped at a slab of stone twice her satchel was weighted with broken twigs and branches. The giant stone slab was angled towards the sky and was grounded atop one of the flat hill tops. Throwing her sword and bag down, she curled up beneath the stone roof onto the hard dirt floor. From the position of the sun in the sky she guessed that she had two hours before it began to set, two hours before she went to check her snares.

 _If at least two of them caught something I'm staying. The old man said that no one comes here. No one can find me, I'll just disappear._

Except before no one knew that she existed or at very least that she was alive. She disappeared then but still kept moving from place to place.

 _I'm tired._

So instead of running she's hiding now.

 _Course I'm hiding, that search party will be missed. This'll be the last place they would think to look._

But what if they do find her? That cart driver was the only one who knew that she came here. Should have done him in.

 _No! He did nothing wrong!_

When retreating it is best to hide your trail, that driver is a trail.

 _I'm not a solider anymore dammit._

You are a killer.

 _No! I-I had to defend myself. I'd never kill for a lesser reason._

Why did we die?

 _I… orders…._

Why did you save them? Why did you reveal yourself at that town?

… _I don't know… I couldn't just stand there and watch them die._

You stood there and watched us die. Stood there and killed us.

 _...orders…_

Did you want to die there? Die to free murderers?

…

Did you want your death to mean something?

…

What does our death mean?

The sunset looked bleary to Riven's eyes; she had not realized that she fell asleep.

 _The snares._ She thought getting to her feet and making her way to the snares she had set. They all came out empty. So she spent the night looking sullenly at the headless snake cook over the fire she had built. She didn't think about anything. She didn't _want_ to think about anything. She put her up when she heard footsteps slowly coming towards her. From the light of the fire she saw several shapes in the darkness in front of her.

"Stop. Stay where you are. If you don't mean harm you can keep on walking." She told the shapes, pointing her sword towards them.

"You sure that's her?" came a rough voice. "That don't look like a greatsword. It's all busted."

"Are you as blind as you are slow Arn? I'm telling you that's her!" came a high voice, a girl's voice.

After a brief pause, the rough voice, Arn, said "Hey, you Riven? You the one with the black rune-sword?"

She said nothing, shock spearing her mind. Who were these people? How did they know her name? How had they found her?

Another pause and Arn continued. "Sorry to bother you stranger we'll just-"

Striding up to Riven into the fire light was a lean freckled red haired woman probably a couple years younger than her. She wore a stained brown vest and black trousers and a hatchet at her waist, her hair ragged and reaching the nape of her neck.

Stopping in front of the fire she took a moment to look at Riven, eyes widening with recognition, than whispered, "You are her." Louder, and in that high voice, she said to the group in the darkness "It's her lads!"

When the women turned back to she wore a grin on her face that Riven did not reciprocate. After a moment she heard the group in the darkness shuffle forward.

Turning to face the woman she said, "You know I could have cut you down when you came up here right?" The red head's face paled, her mouth compressing.

Coming into the firelight she counted nine people including the red haired woman. A broad bald man of average height in a stitched up coat spoke in Arn's voice.

"What'd you say to our lil Danni here?" he asked after looking at the woman, not in an angry tone, but one with curiosity.

"I said that she'd be in two if she stepped a bit too fast for my liking." Riven replied casually, sticking her sword into the dirt.

"Perhaps that'll teach her to run off without thinking." Arn said, Danni glared at him. "May we share your fire Riven?"

"Might as well, since you're here anyways. You had better have brought your own food though, I don't plan on sharing." She said, picking her skewered snake from the fire she began eating. The comment brought a few chuckles out of the group, color seemed to return to Danni's face.

Settling down, Arn's party began to name themselves off. From Arn's left was a lean brown haired man named Darly and a black haired muscly man named himself Luc who wore an eyepatch over his right socket. Beside him was a handsome woman with a golden braid named Maude who stood taller than Riven. Next to her was dark haired Ella who looked to be of Riven's age and wore three scars under her eye. Bran, a squashed face looking fellow with brown hair, was next then followed by Robb and Keenan. The three of them looked the youngest of the men. Robb had crooked teeth and Keenan's pretty face gave him a boyish look to him. At the end was Danni who sat opposite to Arn. During the introductions, Bran had been sticking the carcasses of game over the fire. Riven made a note to ask him if he knew any tricks.

"How did you find me?" Riven asked with only a quarter of her snake left.

"By bloody chance." Luc replied in a hard angry voice. "Danni stabbin saw you walking through these bloody hills."

"Don't mind him." Maude said in a deep voice, rubbing Luc's back. "He gets aggitated when he's hungry."

"And when he's tired, and draws first watch, and when he wakes," said Danni

"And when he's being teased." Ella said with a grin. Luc ground his teeth while Maude stared at him amusingly.

The teasing brought a small smile to Riven and memories of the old days. Back when her company and fellow officers would gather round a fire and throw japes at one another. When the promise of glory in battle seemed real and not a horrible baiting light. When her brothers and sisters in arms were still alive.

"So why did you come meet me here?" Riven asked, wiping the grin off her face and trying to direct the conversation away from Luc's demeanor. The party looked at one another then to her.

"Because you saved us." Arn said. "You jumped from that crowd and cut our ropes with who knows what sorcery and we ran back south."

Riven started at them and began to vaguely remember the prisoners features.

"But there were ten of you-"

"Hen got shot down while running." Darly said, gripping his knee. Luc muttered "Bloody Ionians."

 _So not all got away._

"That doesn't explain how you know my name." Riven said, finishing the rest of her snake. At that, the older members and Ella gave a mocking smile at Bran, Robb, Keenan, and Danni. Luc's looked especially villainous. "What?"

"I think Danni should answer." Bran said, his face focusing on wiping his hands from handling with the carcasses. Robb nodded in agreement while Keenan started at the ceiling.

Jumping up, the fiery red head yelled, "You bleeding alley rats! Why don't you-"

"Danni it was you who spotted her first. Who better to answer her questions?" Darly cut in, clearly amused at the turn of events. Arn had a look that showed how eager he was to see how things turned out. Staring at her companions mouth open, she turned to face Riven when she saw no help coming from them.

"Well, I mean, you were pretty famous at the training barracks."

Riven nodded. She supposed she was at that. Before she had left for Ionia, she did rise in rank rather quickly. To honor the speedy advancements she was gifted the black runed greatsword. Back when she believed might made right.

"All I did was try my best, to give my all in everything."

"Ya! 'To give everything for Noxus!' That was on a poster back at the barracks. It had you and that hulking thing for a sword!" Danni replied, going back down to the ground. The other boys nodded in agreement

Riven groaned, hand on face. Posters. It wasn't a bad memory really, but rather annoying. High Command deemed it necessary for her to become a symbol to the new recruits. Their words. Oh she had been honored at first but it was the artist she was modeling for that irritated her. She understood perfection, all soldiers wanted to perfect their technique, but that artist. One little mistake, one hair drawn askew and out the canvas went. It got worse when some poses she made under his instruction were not "moving his artist soul." She had spent days in that dreadful studio. Another memory came to her.

It was a small memory, insignificant even. She was talking to a fellow officer, Darren his name had been, and the conversation went to how some she was the ray of sunshine to the younger lads back in training. She felt proud to have inspired the male trainees, she thought it was meant to motivate the female populace in Noxus. But then, Darren had hinted at the more recreational usages her visage had on the younger trainees. She broke two of his ribs for that.

Peering in between her fingers, she stared at Bran, Robb and Keenan. They seemed to notice her staring and looking at her. If what Darren, bless his soul, said was true then what was Danni getting flustered over?

"How was I received in the training barracks Danni." Riven asked in deathly cold tones. It was impossible that boys and girls used the same things for the same purposes. Everyone leaned closer to hear but Riven didn't care. Her gaze was focused on Danni.

"Re-received? I don't…I mean…well… you were a… role model for me." The last came in a murmur.

Riven breathed a sigh of relief. Role model. Nothing wrong with that. What she expected would happen, what she was told would happen.

"Danni was your number one fan back at the barracks. She talked to a picture of you she kept under her bed. She even dyed her hair white once too." Ella said nonchalantly.

"ELLA YOU LYING LITTLE LEECH!" Danni yelled throwing herself at the dark haired young woman but Keenan and Robb held her back.

 _Darren also said this might happen._ Riven thought mortified at how right the officer was as the company roared with laughter. Everyone calmed down shortly after with only Danni's pride wounded.

When the carcasses were done cooking, Bran handed everyone a piece. Riven had not noticed that they had one for her as well, for which she was grateful. She devoured the thing in minutes, ignoring some stares she got.

"Best a time as any." She heard Arn mutter as she sucked the grease on her fingers. She stared at him now. "Listen, I didn't come out to meet you with the sole intention of chatting you up. For the longest time now we thought you and some of the higher officers died during the war." The campsite grew quite except for the crackling flame.

"I thought there weren't any Noxians left her in Ionia." Riven said after a brief pause.

"Well that explains why you were alone. We all thought you had at least twenty other men following you but when Danni said it was just you… Regardless, after seeing you in action, I say you're worth fifty good men." Everyone nodded at that. What was he leading her towards?

"You have something one your mind. Say it straight, it's getting late." Riven said a bit too harshly for the people that helped feed her. Arn didn't seem to take it as so.

"Straight to the point, all right. We want you to lead us commander."

Riven stared at him.

"Lead you?! I could barely scrape a living myself in case you haven't noticed!"

"One person alone in a foreign country, I wouldn't think otherwise, but with us? Things might get a little easier for you. For all of us."

"I'm sure that if you keep heading north you'll do fine. They haven't seen a Noxian ever I think."

"Balls to that! North south! East west! It doesn't matter where we go! We have to fight, have to rob sad sacks on the road just to survive. How long until we get caught by again by these Ionians! We were thirty once, months ago, but then we dwindled to what you see here today. Sure we picked a few strays but that's just prolonging the inevitable."

"Then why ask me to lead you if dying out is inevitable."

"Are you honestly telling us to bugger off then? Why bother saving us back at that town?! Better to have let us hang then give us false hope!"

"I gave you another day to live! You gave yourself that false hope!" She realized that both she and Arn were standing up then heads bent to each other. Arn stood only half a head taller.

 _Did I really just tell them to lie down and die?_

Stepping back she was going to say something but nothing came out. Arn had a look that screamed out abandonment. Luc looked furiously at her then at the fire. Maude started at Arn then to Riven. Ella looked at Danni who looked at the floor. Darly looked at the lads who just started at the flame.

"I'm going for a walk." Riven said, walking around the party into the night. She stopped one pace away from them when she turned her head back. "Do you know what happened to the battle company under my command?" She saw some heads turn; Ella Dannie, the lads and Arn.

"They all died." And she walked into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Two hill tops away from her campsite Riven starred up into the starry sky. She laid there, her back on the grass, simmering in a stew of guilt and self-reprimand. She had heard that stars could fall from the sky and come crashing down onto the earth. She certainly felt like she wouldn't mind one falling on top of her head at the moment to end her miserable train of thought. Or it could fall on to that group that annexed her campsite.

"Are you honestly telling us to bugger off then?"

Had she? Did she expose herself and risk her life to save them just so that they could die on display at some other town in the middle of nowhere?

 _There are worse ways to go._ She thought, as she remembered the green fog of Zaunite chemical weapons choke the life out of every solider friendly or not. She'll never forget reawakening to that field of pale corpses. She'll never understand why or how she survived. She'll never stop cursing herself for surviving alone.

"We want you to lead us commander."

Lead them? Where could she possibly lead them to? Lead them in becoming the most feared bandits in Ionia? Lead them in killing more innocents with no greater goal then to live for one more day? Lead them to an inevitable demise where they are hunted down one by one? She had her fill in fruitless murder. She was done with seeing comrades die at her expense. Solitude was what she wanted.

Liar.

 _Shut up._

You are running and hiding. Now more than ever.

 _It's me versus a whole nation. What else could I do?_

It could be ten.

 _I'm not fit to lead. I led everyone to their deaths last time._

So now you are abandoning them to their deaths?

 _I never asked them to follow me!_

They never did. It was chance they saw you. Chance you met them. But what made you save them?

…

What are you doing Riven? When does the exile end?

The sound of footsteps made Riven get up and reach for her sword but her hand found nothing. Startled she looked around franticly then remembered that she had left it at the camp. How out of countenance was she to have forgotten about leaving that? At least the voices incessant nattering stopped.

"Who's there?" she called into the darkness to where she heard the footsteps coming closer.

"It's Danni. I wanted to talk." The footsteps came closer and Riven saw the young woman's outline in the darkness.

"If it's about leading that lot I-"

"I couldn't care less about that!" Danni broke in. That startled Riven. Maybe this Ella was a lying leech. "Well, ok I cared a little about it. But I ain't gonna soil my panties just cause you said no. You do you and we'll do us. Though it's a surprise you haven't starved to death yet." The last part she muttered under her breath. What did she mean by that?

Danni guffawed. "Ha! Bran saw your snares and he was not impressed. Wondered if you only went after the lame game." She gave a few more snickers.

 _I must be really off to have said that out loud._ Riven thought to herself. _Bran said_ that _about me?_

"You said you wanted to talk about something?" Riven said testily with crossed arms and tapping foot. _I should have told her to go bother someone else._

A long silence came from Danni until she asked, "So what were you looking at?"

Riven stopped tapping her foot. She had been expecting that. "Excuse me?"

"You were gone for a while so I thought you found something nice to look at."

"I…the stars." Riven replied. What did this girl want? Surely not to chat about the sky. Yet she thought she felt the girl's mood brighten.

"Then you wouldn't want to miss this." Danni said as she laid herself on the ground. Riven opened her mouth to ask what she was talking about but she rode over her. "It only comes once every five years, if a friend of mine is to be believed. I never saw it but she said that she always made a personal mission to see everyone."

"Miss what? What are you talking about?" Riven asked utterly confused. The moment the words left her mouth she knew that she became invested into a conversation. So much for a night of solitude.

"The Verdent Claw. A comet, or rather three comets. I think it's called the Heaven's Jades in Ionia. It'll be my first time seeing it. Anyways, you really should get a look at it if you planned to star gaze all night." Danni replied, her arms placed behind her head.

"Which one of them told you that?" Riven asked, staring back at the camp, an orange glow within the darkness. "I don't mean to burst your bubble Danni, but I think they tricked you, seeing that they didn't bother to come."

"Pfft. None of those louts care about anything that flies through the sky that won't skewer their brains."

"Then where'd you hear about these comets?" Riven asked, slightly curious. Another silence came from Danni.

"A friend back at training. Clement. I remember her sneaking out of the barracks alone one night just to see these comets. She got caught and the drill instructor said 'Since you like taking nightly strolls so much I'm having you lead everyone in this room every night at midnight.' Since then we had to do a fifty league run on the track field in the middle of the dark. We got named the Night Owls from the other recruits." Danni gave a quiet laugh at the end. So did Riven.

"What happened to Clement? I doubt that everyone just let her get away with that."

"Oh we didn't. For a while anyway. We put rocks in her boots every night, but then we got tired of that. Plus she got promoted to squad leader."

"Running fifty leagues every night? I wouldn't be surprised you guys got tired in tormenting Clement. So where is she now?" Riven asked, laying onto the ground next to Danni. She had a feeling she knew the answer as soon as the words left her mouth.

"I don't know." Danni said with a sad sigh. "I hope she made it home. I never saw her again after training. I got assigned to be a scout while Clement got sent as a solider." Another silence came. Riven hoped that Clement got home safe too.

"So you got one?"

"One what?" Riven asked to Danni's sudden question.

"An extra toe. A story! Anything interesting happen with your training?"

"Could have just asked that." Riven muttered, thinking about something that could top running in the dark every night. "The first time I came to the practice yard with a greatsword. Blunted mind you. The thing was a head taller than me. Everyone scoffed at me carrying it. The drill sergeant wanted me to get something more suited for my height. Naturally I refused so-"

"I heard this one! You fought twenty recruits that day and you had them all on their backs without taking a hit!" Danni cut in.

"What? No! Where did you hear such a ridiculous tale? Never mind, I don't really want to know." Riven said in surprise. She continued with her story.

"Where was I? Right, drill sergeant sent the biggest recruit in the yard to fight me. When I defeated that pile of meat the sergeant said 'in real battle, you'll mostly find yourself flanked by enemies at all sides lil girl.' And he called up five to surround me. I felt like I was rabbit, jumping left and right to dodge their attacks. I was pretty winded after I hit three in the ribs and broke the fourth ones arm. It came to a stare down with the last recruit. Quickest to charge and first to land." She gave a small laugh. "In the end we knocked each other out. He did a feint to get in close and got me in the head when I got him on the back swing. When I came to, the drill sergeant let me keep the sword."

"So that's how it really happened." Danni said wonderingly. "It really ended in a draw? That's kinda anticlimatic."

"It was my first month!" Riven exclaimed defensively. Did this girl expect her to be a born battle god. "I was hardly the strongest in the corps then."

"But you did eventually? Or was that a lie too?" The other woman asked suspiciously.

"First of all, I never said I took down twenty people on the first day. Secondly, yes, eventually I became the best in the division. Undefeated even."

"That sounds about right." Danni said giving another small laugh. "I never did become the best fighter in my group, that went to Clement, but I was the fastest! Could outrun anyone in the Night Owls or out!"

"Sounds to me that all that midnight running did you some good then. I think you owe Clement one." Riven replied, feeling her lips move in amusement. Danni grumbled something about being one of the first to stop putting rocks in Clement's boots. For what felt like hours they talked with each other, though it was closer to Danni interviewing Riven.

Yes she had been to the upper city in Noxus after her rise to poster girl; Riven preferred the term morale figure. Indeed she did attend a ballroom party, not that she enjoyed it. A mix between nobles mistaking her for a man and trying to court her made her very sour that night. No she did not wear a dress to that, she got the tailor to fit her a suit. She did not opt to tell Danni that she ripped her dress while trying to break it in. They shared stories of stopping drunken brawls between fellow soldiers when on duty and being part of them when they were off. Riven admitted to have started at least two when some fellow decided to get too familiar with her rump. Danni admitted to one when she refused to cough up her coins after losing at a game of dice. She claimed that the man was a cheat.

Those times are gone, lost forever to the past. Guilt clings to you now. How long can you bear it?

"So what's your story? How long have you been with them?" Riven asked half thinking in an attempt to ride over the voices.

"Them? You mean those guys at your fire?" Riven gave a sound of acknowledgement. "Well that's a story that one. Why the sudden interest?" Danni replied yawning.

"Just something to talk about while we're waiting for these comets of yours." Riven said catching the yawn. She heard nothing come from the other woman. Suddenly aware that she stepped onto a bad nerve, Riven turned to tell her that she didn't have to answer it. The coivies laughed mockingly.

Propped on her arms she saw Danni's face staring back at her in the darkness. "Danni you don't-", she began.

"My unit never did get the message for the last ship home," She said cutting her off, lying back down on the ground. "so we pretty much did what we kept doing until a couple of the lads mutinied against our commander. We fractured later on, going with the ones who we thought knew best. I guess I chose wrong back then. Never knew when to shut my mouth. Mix snarky remarks with backed up ticked off soldiers and…well. Mistreated comes to mind." She said bitterly at the end. Riven wanted to tell her that she didn't have to continue but she kept going.

"A smart woman would have left them in the middle of the night. Well, I wanted payback but a slit throat didn't quite cut it for me then. I wanted them to know it was me that did them in. And you can bet that pretty white head of yours I did. In spectacular fashion. Everyone trusts a scout. Tell'em you see easy pickings moving up on the road and their blood starts to run at the thought of easy game. Tell'em that you spotted the perfect space to hide for an ambush and they'll believe you. Tell'em all that and when they realize that there is no hiding spot and a military patrol of thirty is coming down onto their starving twenty, you can be sure as hell that they know who to blame. A couple months after that I met Arn. Or rather he found me."

"He wasn't leading a group then, that was some brute who's name could stay buried with him. With me we were thirty-six but we soon became twenty when Locke led a mutiny shortly after they picked me up. I got lucky with them despite going through another split. They were a fun bunch, comrades left alone in this strange country. But as time went on our numbers changed. Sometimes we took in stragglers, other times we get ourselves neck deep in trouble and lose a few. Seems like an eternity ago now."

"Sounds like that you and Arn have been together since close to the beginning." Riven said after taking it all in. Lying back onto the ground she couldn't help but feel sympathy and pity for the other woman. At the same time she reevaluated Danni. Snappy and childish she may be, she did not balk in dealing out cold blooded vengeance.

She's a soldier through and through.

"Pretty much, ya. Nearly two years now. Darly and a few others joined us a few months after. Found them licking their wounds after a bad raid. Bran and Robb ran away from their old group. Leadership was not to their liking so they cut his throat and ran off with what little money they found."

"We found Luc, Maude and Ella in some broken down shack by a river. Keenan was the last to join our merry little band. Found him alone. From his tale he was running from the local authorities after getting caught robbing some innkeeper. Well, that's my story and how I met those poor sacks. Not a really happy one I'm afraid." Danni said sighing. "So what's your story Riven? All I know about you is that your entire squad died. What happened to you after?"

"Nothing much happened to me." Riven replied. She remembered the stench of that mass grave, the feel of the cold bodies around her. "I just sorta… wandered across the country."

"And how many lost Noxians did you liberate as the lone wolf?" The way Danni said 'lone wolf' made it sound like Riven was a child playing at a game.

"None. You and your company were the first Noxians I've seen since… my last company." Riven answered. Danni made a sound of astonishment in her throat.

"None! You mean to tell me that you were alone for two years?!" Riven made a sound of acknowledgement. "No one to talk to? Surviving by yourself?!" Another acknowledgement. "All that after seeing your entire command die?!... How have you not gone mad?" Riven burst out laughing.

During their entire conversation, Riven's could not stop the haunting voices of the dead sound off their names in her head, nor could she stop hearing them make their commentary and question her motives, or lack thereof. Most of all, they claimed that she was deluding herself. Mad? Riven? _If I'm not already I soon will be at this rate._ She thought to herself as she calmed down.

"Are you ok Riven?" Danni asked tentatively. "I didn't actually mean that. Are you... what I mean to say is… well, have your brains gone soft?" She finished in a hurry.

"I am as fine as I can be." Riven answered sitting up hugging one knee to herself. The voices questioned what 'fine' was.

"Oh? Then why do you insist on being alone?" Dannie asked sitting up. "It's clear as day you don't hate the company. In fact, I'd say you welcome it seeing how you didn't chase me off to wallow with yourself in the dark. Two years all alone? Why would you ever do that to yourself?"

 _Why indeed?_ A rare moment when her thoughts and that of her ghosts came together.

"Honestly, I didn't know there were any other Noxians left."

"That dosen't answer my question Riven. You know of at least nine others now and yet you _still_ insist on being alone."

"I believe your words were 'You do you and we'll do us'. Why do you care if I'm alone or not?"

"Because I owe you! You saved my life and the lives of my friends!"

"And you fed me tonight so we are even. Goodnight Danni." Riven got up to walk away but something grabbed her arm.

"We're not done here!" Danni yelled, firmly holding onto Riven's wrist. "You are not walking away from me until you give me a good reason to leave you alone!"

Walk away. Run like always Riven.

"I run from nothing!" Riven spat. That made Danni let go. Rubbing her wrist Riven stared down at the other woman battling the voices rambling in her head.

Why are you running Riven? Where are you running to? Will you abandon them?

Memories rose up inside of her. A request for aid answered by noxious gases killing every friend and foe in sight and beyond. A cry for help responded by a knife in the back. Riven remembered Arn's face when she refused to help him.

 _No._ She thought angrily. It was an anger she had not felt in a long time. Like a hot rock sizzling, waiting to burst from the heat welled up within. _I will not abandon them like how I… we, were._

That was why you rescued them wasn't it?

… _Yes._

"Are you always this persistent with every vagabond you meet?" Riven asked Danni in an irritated voice, extending a hand out for her.

"Only the ones that are worth it." Danni replied nervously, grabbing hold of the outstretched hand. "So? What's your reason for being alone?"

"…I don't have one. At least not a good one." Riven replied somberly. _I didn't want to add another face to my dreams._

"Then I'm not letting you go off on your own to end up like some raving lunatic living in a cave." Danni said vehemently. Riven laughed.

"That was never on my to-do list." _Only to aimlessly walk the country side._

You aren't aimless anymore, are you?

 _No._

"So what now?" Danni asked testily. "Do I have to spend the entire night to lodge some sense into you because I will! Don't test me on that!"

Riven gave a deep long breath. "I do believe you would. Heh, I guess you'll have your way-" Danni knocked the wind out of her when she collided in a deep embrace.

"You trying to tackle me or hug me? Bloody axes woman, you knocked the air out of me." Riven said regaining balance and breath.

"I'm just so happy that you came around." Danni said in a breath and Riven thought she saw her wipe a tear from her eye in the darkness. "For a moment there I thought you'd take me up on staying awake the whole night." She said yawning.

"Yes well, I'm still taking you up on these comets you mentioned." Riven yawned and scanned the night sky. "Where are those things anyways?"

Taking a step back, Danni also looked up into the night sky. "Well, I did say this _would_ be my first time seeing them. Only… to be honest Clement didn't have the tightest screw on her head. She believed that she saw unicorns prance through the sky before every thunderstorm."

Laughing, Riven shook her head. This Clement reminded her of a soldier she knew. Radolf believed that he saw wolves run across rainbows. "In that case, go fetch Arn. I need to apologize to him and ask if his offer in leadership is still on the table."

"Aye aye, _commander._ " Danni said giving a salute. Riven felt her beaming with anticipation.

"One more thing." Riven called. When Danni turned around she punched her across the shoulder. Danni gave a yelp and before she could say anything Riven said "Give that one to Bran for me. For making fun of my snares." Rubbing her shoulder Danni gave a snicker and an 'aye aye' and ran towards the fire of their campsite.


	4. Chapter 4

Fog surrounded Yasuo as he walked the empty road. Both sides of the road were bordered by an endless forest of bamboo that appeared ghostly and pale from the grey screen. To add to the still ambience, he heard not a sound. There was no chirping of birds or grasshoppers in the air, no rustling of fallen leaves to be heard. Besides the sound of his boots treading the ground, there world was in utter silence. He did not know how long this eerie path would go on for, yet he felt compelled to walk it nonetheless.

For a countless time he walked on single mindedly, feet scuffing the dirt mind focused only on the unknowable destination, when he saw an outline approach him through the fog. As the figure came closer, its features became clearer until it stood only ten paces away. Before him was a large man well taller than he by three heads and composed entirely of muscle with a bright red gash running from his shoulder to his side. He carried a blade that was as thick as an arm that ended in a curve. Yasuo knew this man. He was one of the first to come after him, to bring him to justice. A justice placed upon false accusations, so he was the first to fall to Yasuo's blade.

The muscle bound man barring Yasuo's path now took only a moment to stare at him before running towards him, blood streaming from the fresh wound across his chest. With a yell the large man sent his sword crashing down only to be swiftly evaded as Yasuo jumped back. Upon landing, he propelled himself back into the air, drawing his sword and cutting down across the man's crimson gash severing him in two like he had so long ago.

 _Unforgiven_.

The wind blew as the body fell and dispersed in a cloud of withered leaves laying themselves around Yasuo. He began to resheathe his blade when a rustling from the forest caught his ear. Drawing the rest of the blade out he faced the direction of the noise only to see a blur going around the corner of his eye. The feeling of steel entering his back told them that he was not fast enough in turning to follow the blur, or perhaps he was fast enough seeing how whatever stabbed him did not pierce his heart. Spinning towards the direction of the pain, he slashed at nothing but air around him. Before him stood a dark haired woman calmly drawing out new blades from behind her. Yasuo knew her as well, another soul that had come to hunt him down. The red stain running around her waist reminded him the moment of her death.

"If you're going to stab me in the back like that, the least you could do is take those knives with you." He said, grunting as he moved into a stance with steel stuck in his body. The woman gave a throaty laugh despite the fact that his sword was pointed towards her.

As quick as lightning the female assailant dashed at him. Yasuo made a thrust at her but she nimbly jumped over his attack, spinning in the air and landing two more knives into his shoulders. Behind him, he felt the cold sensation of metal escaping his flesh followed by a powerful kick forcing him to stumble forward. Quickly regaining his footing he turned to face his opponent, blade slashing in an arc forcing her to jump back but Yasuo continued his onslaught. Closing the gap, he unleashed a myriad flurry of attacks. Slashes were quickly parried by her swift knife work and thrusts easily evaded yet he could see that he was driving her to the brink. Feeling threads of air wrapping around his blade he increased the intensity of his advance, knocking the woman's knives out of her hands. Her shocked expression was the last face she made as Yasuo finished her off by slicing the waist in two as if it were butter.

 _Traitor._

Like his last attacker, her body fell and scattered as long dead foliage. Pulling the knives out of his shoulders Yasuo heard more footsteps coming from the forest. A group of three stood before him, all bearing a red mark in some form, his death mark. Not as much as a word they fell upon him. Again as he slew them, they crumbled into withered leaves and the wind blew their last curses to him only to be replaced by the next party that came for his head. Sometimes they came alone, sometimes many, each one unique from the last. On and on they came, on and on he heard their dying breathes to him.

 _Unforgiven,_ _Deceiver, Betrayer, Honorless, Traitor, Lost one, Fateless…_

When the tide of vengeful hunters ceased Yasuo was marked by numerous cuts and scrapes on his body. Some were red from fresh blood oozing out of raw wounds while others he felt were already beginning to crust over as he stood there panting. The ground around him was coated in a layer of blood painted leaves with a sick stench that could have been carried so far off that one was likely to smell the scene of carnage hours before actually seeing it. His blade seemed to be the only thing not painted red ironically. Yasuo could still feel the layer of wind encircling his sword, adding more sharpness to the already razor edged blade and effectively blowing off any speck of blood that should have normally coated a sword.

"Yasuo."

 _Yone._ He thought turning behind him to the source of the voice. Before him stood a man with his dark hair tied up behind his head. He wore a blue tunic much like his but not tattered. His face would have been identical to Yasuo's had they been born as twins but as it was, he was the elder and Yone's face reflected that with harder features then Yasuo's.

"Brother." Yauso said slightly out of breath and unsurprised, like meeting an old acquaintance he would have never wanted to see again.

"We are not brothers, Unforgiven." Yone said as cold as winter, contempt lacing his words. "Not anymore, not after what you've done."

"Say what you want Yone, but we _are_ brothers. Please, for that alone, believe me when I say it was not me that killed out Elder."

Yone, his brother, considered him for a moment, then scoffed. "You truly must have become immeasurably arrogant to believe that your wit has become as sharp as your sword play." Drawing his sword out to Yasuo, Yone continued. "Answer me this then. Who else but _you_ , have mastered the art in controlling the wind, to use it as a weapon. I have seen where our Elder fell and his body bared markings only a blade of wind could have made. Answer me. Now."

"I do not know." Vague memories told him that he repeated that same answer to Yone countless times whenever he asked that question.

"And so, you must be put down." Yone said, raising his sword to assume a stance.

"Don't do this." Yasuo pleaded, blood dripping from his fresh wounds. He felt his muscles tensing, anticipating a lethal strike, ready to counter it.

"For what you have done, I must." His brother replied in a determined voice. Then, in a sad and solemn tone, "I shall forever mourn the memory of my long dead brother." At that he dashed forward. Yasuo was ready for the attack.

Yone made a slash at his side but Yasuo blocked the strike. A shrill whistling sounded as regular steel met his wind sheathed blade. Repelled, Yone stepped back ready to jump back in to thrust his weapon, a maneuver Yasuo saw all too clearly. Had it been directed anyone else, Yone's speed would have made the attack connect. Cursing fate, Yasuo redirected the thrust with the side of his sword. The shrill whistling turned into a screech as he slide his blade against Yone's into a slash that went up his brothers torso to the opposite shoulder.

Yasuo heard Yone's blade hit the ground and stared dejectedly at his fallen brother. Getting on his knees, Yasuo knelt beside his dead brother, the wind slowly blowing his corpse away in a stream of leaves. He stayed there mired in his own blood and that of his pursuers and his brother.

 _Yone. You died to pursue our Elder's killer. I killed you so that_ I _might find our Elder's killer._ He felt his heart twist in anger and strife at the irony of it all.

A gust from behind made him turn his head. What he saw was a white haired woman carrying a black greatsword as tall as she was covered in glowing green symbols. At first he did not recognize her than cold seething recognition hit him. Memories of a hanging tree and a duel beneath it entered his mind.

"You." He said rising, taking up his sword to fulfill the duty his brother died for. The duty that he had killed him for. "You will not get away this time." White hair simply pointed her sword at him and crooked two fingers at him. Yasuo still felt the sheath of air running along his blade, churning at impossible velocities, capable of eroding stone towers into grey hovels. With a cry, he slashed his sword at her, sending out a storm that has been gathering the moment he was named Unforgiven.

When Yasuo woke up he noticed that his face was wet. Soaked actually, yet he still felt mildly groggy. Eyes straining themselves open, he was about to crawl out his bed when he noticed that he was actually sitting on his bed against the wall.

 _Strange._ He thought. _Could have sworn I slept inside for once. And in a bed._ Another wave came for his face.

Furiously he stood up, eyes wide open and his mind racing as he took in his surroundings. The room he was in was cramped, the only furniture that was in it was the bed he had apparently spent the night sitting on, a small desk to the side with a candle that was reduced to a stub, and an empty bottle. On one side of the room was a lone window showing that it was currently raining. Opposite of that was another desk with a basin on it. And a young man heading back to it with a jug. In angry strides he walked up to the man, spun him around by the shoulder, and knocked that surprised face of his with his own.

Reeling back from the impact Yasuo rubbed his head vigorously. "What in the blackest pit do you think you're doing? Who in their right minds would throw water, or anything for that matter, at a sleeping man's face?! I should –"

"Shut your face you drunk! We're in danger!" Feros said, rubbing his head just as hard. "I tried shaking you awake but you kept on sleeping! Mumbling about paths and leaves. We need to leave. Now!"

The urgency in his voice shifted Yasuo's perspective on the situation. For three days they had stayed in this town of Xiao Chung hoping to find the white haired swords woman or at the very least a lead. As of yet, the people they had asked in taverns and on the streets had heard nothing. As for being called a drunk, since each day availed nothing new he always drank a bottle before resigning for the night. Yet three days was a long time, perhaps long enough for headhunters to have homed in on him despite using a fake name. When Yasuo asked about that Feros looked surprised when he nodded.

"Looks like you got most of our things packed. I'll meet you down at the stables and hopefully we can get out before making scene." He said as he went to get his sword and other carry on belongings. That was when they both heard a knocking at their door. Feros looked at Yasuo with bulging eyes, hands stiff on a hunting knife he carried at his waist.

Yasuo made a motion with signaling the younger man to ease his nerves as he strode softy to the door, slowly drawing his blade partway out. "Can I help you?"

"Well for one, you can open the door and speak to my face you vagrant." Yasuo gave a breath with Feros. The familiar yet angry voice was that of Yuren the inn keeper. A wide balding man with a reputation of hording every object in his establishment including the dust in his cellars. Resheathing his sword but still keeping it visible he opened the door Yasuo looked down at the man but not before noticing the muscle standing beside him. Feng he thought his name was, and his job was to make sure the patrons didn't get too rowdy or that no one skipped out on their pay.

"It seems that we are of a mind Dao, what with your sword and my friend back ere. Except, I have cause to bring, em, insurance with me you little weasel." Yuren said giving a chuckle that held little mirth. "Feng here saw your little toady there hitching up your horses and he and I both know that you still have yet to pay us." The fat made gave another chuckle then said in a sinister voice, "You wouldn't leave before paying poor ole me now, would you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it Yuren." Yasuo said, putting a smile he did not feel for this sleazy sack of meat. "In fact I was just coming down to pay it off."

"Ah, now that is what I like to hear! See Feng, you were worried over nothing. Dao here is as honorable and as honest as he looks!" Feng grunted noncommittally. "Now since you're coming down anyways why don't you let Feng escort you down? Only the good ones get his protection . Right Feng?" The inn keeper said, laughing as he went down the stairs.

"I still have somethings to get still. You won't mind waiting Feng ole buddy?" Yasuo asked the muscle. He responded with silence. "Right. Anyways, I'm the one with the money so the lad will just be waiting for me at the stables." Nothing again from the large man. Taking his silence for acknowledgement, he motioned for Feros to descend to the stables while he got the rest of his belongings into a traveling sack.

With sack slung over his shoulder, Yasuo came down to the common room with Feng tailing him he saw Yuren pretending to be busy by wiping the bar counter with that stained towel he kept on him. When he approached the bar tender the wide man put on an eager grin.

"Ah Dao, glad to see you. A shame to see you go. Especially after racking up that impressive tab for the bar. But I had to collect someday. Shall we make a toast to send you off?"

"No thank you." Yasuo replied, counting coins on the counter. During his stay at this inn Yasuo could not exactly pin down why, out of all the patrons residing here, did Yuren seem to take an interest in him. _Probably wants to con the outsider._ Yasuo thought, pushing three days' worth of payment towards the man plus his bar tab. Respectively that cost three and a half and eight silver lotus coins, leaving only three silver coins in his purse. Perhaps he drank more then he realized. Remembering that he had two nice bottles of spirits in his sack did not make him feel any better.

Sighing internally he spilled the last coins in that purse onto the table. Yuren cast a curious eye to Yasuo. _No harm is asking one last time._

"Before I go Yuren, any word of a white haired woman with a black sword coming to town?"

"Feh, that's all you're interested in isn't it Dao. The only white haired women here are the crones walking the streets." Yuren said rolling the silver coins across his fingers. Yasuo thought as much yet there was something in the man's voice, and his sneer, that made it clear that he had more.

"What is it?" Yasuo asked testily.

Yuren shrugged. "Oh, just the most peculiar tale. Now, I don't know anything about black swords but I heard that there was a white haired not too far from here."

"Where!"

"Hmmm, nevermind. The story is ludicrous. Probably all lie-" With blinding speed Yasuo had drawn out his sword and placed its edge right up against the inn keepers neck. A thin stream of blood oozed from the razor thin scratch. He felt eyes watching him now and Feng looked ready to tear off Yasuo's head but was disturbed at how fast he had drawn that sword. Himself, he hoped Feng was smart enough to not confirm who was fastest.

"I'm only going to ask once Yuren. Where was the woman last seen?" The wide man's face began to redden in anger.

"You little prick. You think you can just come to _my house_ and-" Yasuo put more force into the sword, the red stream became thicker. "Spirits take you! Pit swallow you I'll talk!"

"Start yapping then, my arm's starting to get tired." Yuren scowled when he realized that Yasuo did not intend to lower the blade until he got everything out of the inn keeper.

"It's just hearsay but… I heard a cart driver let a white haired woman onto his cart. A fine looking dame the way I hear it. The strange part was that she did not want to come to town despite her ragged state. Rather I heard that she ran off towards the hill lands. Why are the pretty ones always the mad ones?"

 _Never came to town?_ "How long ago was this?" Yasuo asked, his voice cold and emotionless. He didn't mean to put more pressure on the blade.

"I-I- th-three days? Four days? I don't know! That's all I got! Really!" The panic above all else convinced him. Resheathing his blade, Yasuo made his final goodbye's to the inn keeper who had tied his towel over his neck and to the muscle who swallowed when Yasuo looked at him.

 _Three or four days._ Yasuo thought as he walked towards the stables where their horses, Kicks and White, were getting prepped to leave. _Three or four days ahead. Dammit she fooled us good. How many days will it take for us to catch up to her now?_

Hopelessly thinking up ways to shorten the distance between them he saw the most peculiar site. Feros had his bow out and fully nocked and aimed at something at the street entrance to the stable.

"Feros what are-"

"Well, well. Seems like the rumors were right brothers. Seems little Yasuo was here after all." Said an unfamiliar voice.

Turning towards to voices owner Yasuo saw a woman with two men at either side of her. She wore a skirt that left one of her legs bare while covering the other and wore hard leather armor with a round metal pauldron over her right shoulder with a spiraling engraving. Planted onto the ground beside her stood a polearm with a thick blade that curved towards the tip, a guan dao. The men beside her wore the same pauldrons and light armor as well. Tat their sides they carried single edged sabers. All in all, they looked mean and sure about their business.

"I've been called many things," Yasuo said, striding in front of Feros' line of fire without a care in the world. He felt his partner stare at him disbelievingly. "but 'little' rarely comes up." The woman was almost of height to him. "I take it you're here for my bounty?"

"Is there any other reason a girl like me would go for a guy like you?" she asked sweetly. "After all, a girl loves a guy with money, and when I bring you in me and my brothers won't have to think about our purses for a long time." The men around her smirked in greed and confidence. "So do us all a favor and come quietly. I'd hate to hurt you. Or that little friend of yours." The last sounded like an afterthought.

"His name is Feros. What was his answer when you asked for me?"

The woman grimaced. "He nocked an arrow at me. On second though, I might just thump him around just for general principle after I'm done with you."

Yasuo laughed, "Ya, that is just not happening." and he drew his sword. He heard the strings on Feros' bow tighten. Remembering how the youth reacted to seeing a human corpse Yasuo turned his head to him. "You can point that thing down now, I got this." Turning back to face the woman in the street he heard strings relax, albeit hesitantly.

"Fighting ladies. I can see where the boy gets his manners. Word of advice kid. When picking role models, don't pick honorless serial killers. Do you know how much blood is on his hands?"

Walking forward he heard Feros' retort and had to smile. "Shows what you know. Didn't anyone tell you to _not_ to believe everything you hear?"

The woman let out an angry breath. "I change my mind. I'm glad were fighting. Gives me something to vent on." With a snap of her fingers her posse moved to either sides of the street, barring anyone entering and creating a dueling arena wide enough so that she and Yasuo stood in the center. He had to raise an eyebrow.

Pulling her polearm from the ground, the woman moved to the opposite end of the street. "My name is Xun Lin, boss of the Silver Spiral Gang, and I challenge you, Yasuo the Unforgiven." The crowd that had gathered gave out gasps of shock and murmured comforting words to each other. A monster had just came to town.

"What's your game?" Yasuo inquired, taking on a stance and circling her.

Walking along the circle, the woman answered in a pleased tone. "I just want you to remember the moment when the crowd celebrates your defeat as you rot in a cell or before they send you to the headsman. I'm not too clear on the sentence they plan for you." Without a pause, she struck forward.

The large blade of the dao went for Yasuo's head which got deflected by an overhead slash. The woman recovered quickly, taking the recoil of his strike and twisting herself so that the butt end headed to the side of his head. Ducking down he rolled into the direction of the woman's swing, going under the staff. Upon rising he was forced to jump back as the woman thrusted the blade of her polearm where he had rolled.

Pushing forward, Lin lifted the blade as an uppercut and engaged in a flurry of thrusts aimed at his chest and head. Moving backwards, Yasuo managed to stay a hairs breath away from her incoming strikes. Changing her attack, his opponent swung the polearm in a circle around her, using the full length of it to distance herself and force Yasuo to evade to the side.

A yell from Feros made him look behind to see that one of Lin's lackeys had moved up from the edge of the ring. The lackey had dropped his sword and was on the floor, clutching the arrow that was sticking out of the side of his knee. Looking towards his partner he saw that he was already nocking another arrow onto his bow.

"Someone get that urchin!" Lin yelled as she came towards Yasuo, stabbing her weapon at him. He deflected it with his sword, forcing it to cut above his shoulder and tearing the clothes he had gotten as a gift. Two of the four thugs were moving in towards Feros and he saw the last one make a move towards him.

Spinning herself backwards and swinging the guan dao over her head, Lin swung her staff at his neck forcing him to duck and once more at his legs making him jump. At the same time the last lackey came from the side, slashing sideways to cut him in two when he landed. Screams came from the stables. Something in him popped.

Parrying the flanking attack, Yasuo moved like the wind and grabbed his attacker by the arm and pulled him where he stood as he leapt forward, switching places just as Lin's dao came swinging in again. The look of shock was a fleeting thing on her face as she realized that she just separated her partner's scalp from the rest of his head. That fleeting moment was all Yasuo needed. Moving in, he stabbed her in the naval. She dropped her weapon to clutch at the wound when Yasuo retracted his blade. Attention fully on the stables he let out a breath.

There Feros stood with small splatters of blood on him with a nocked arrow in his bow. Halfway from the stable entrance there was one lackey groaning on the floor. He had arrows protruding out of one shoulder, one in the knee on the opposite side and another in the front of his ankle. The second got closer. Lying three steps away from the youth the last lackey had arrows in his knees as well, cursing at him despite an arrow pointed to his face.

"You had best put an arrow in me kid or I swear I'll find you and make you pay! Well what are you waiting for! Do it!" Yasuo knocked the man out with a kick to the head. Feros shuddered as he looked up to see Yasuo, apparently just noticing him there.

Turning to face the crowd he outstretched his arms, very pointedly making his bloodied sword visible. "Anyone else want to try us!?" The crowd had gone pale after witnessing the brawl that just ensued. Xun Lin started shouted curses and vows of vengeance upon him "Then get on with your little lives!" Doubtless, someone from there must have gone to get the town guard.

Sheathing his sword, he faced Feros. He put an arm on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Couldn't kill him could you? I did warn you something like this might happen. You got lucky this time, but one of these days you will kill your first man. That's what happens when you travel with a fugitive." He made his grip harder. "Last chance. You can back out. If you travel with me, I can guarantee that you'll either kill someone or die trying not to."

Feros' eyes seemed to show signs of doubt in this quest but that was only for a moment. Closing his eyes and taking a breath he looked back at Yasuo. "I need to do this boss. Someone has to see that white haired killer get punished. I need to tell my town that she got what she deserved. For my sister." He hesitated but continued. "I suppose that taking her in will take longer then what we both thought huh." Feros didn't really mean it as a question but Yasuo answered anyways.

"Seems like it." He refrained from telling him that it would be a long and bloody road. At least the company wasn't terrible. Xun Lin's voice died down to and heated mutter.

Knowing that this was not the best time but not caring he took out a bottle from the saddle bags on Kicks and took a swig of it. Feros looked at him with a disbelieving expression. Wiping his mouth, he handed the bottle to the youth. "To celebrate that you didn't have to kill anyone today."

"I'll kill you!" Lin shouted at them.

Hesitantly, probably questioning if it was worth a toasting to, Feros took the bottle and took a swig of his own. Coughing he handed it back to Yasuo. "Ka- what in the pit is in that- Ack- that's the rawest thing I've ever tasted."

"Something I drained from Yuren's cellers. Speaking of which, we had best leave before he finds out."

"What about them?" Feros gestured to their assailants. "Won't they come after us?"

Yasuo shrugged. "Undoubtedly after they recover, but we'd already drank to you still having clean hands. Be bad luck to dirty them now." Feros nodded agreeably and turned towards the horses.

"Sooner we leave the better then right? Someone must have alerted the town guards. Besides, I doubt they could find us again after we leave." Feros said, climbing up on White. Yasuo refrained from telling him that the ones that survived always managed to find him again.

Varus strode complacently in the moonless night, guided by an invisible hand. In one hand he twirled an arrow that writhed in his corrupted hand. The arrow glowed red but gave of little light in the darkness. It probably sent a feeling of unease to all that saw it. He wouldn't know, to him it was a part of his twisted flesh. A burden and curse he must endure for breaking his vows. In his other hand he carried an insidious violet bow. Like the arrow it felt very much alive and was formed from the powers of the corruption that flows through his body.

He walked the forest barefoot, in the sense that no clothing covered the lower part of his body. The corruption had taken its toll in that part of body. Now his legs were covered in a dark carapace that left a trail of tainted ground wherever his feet lands. His forearms looked no different, they had the appearance of clawed gauntlets made of some sort of dark unworldly metal.

He slowed his pace until he saw the thing that he was following. A Noxian left behind after the war. He remembered his 'participation' in that conflict. Bound by oath and vows he guarded the temple that sealed a great blight all the while knowing that his hometown at the bottom of its steppes was being burned down. When he heard that his home bared no survivors, he forsook all oaths and honor and surrendered himself to the soul eating blighted powers he oh so valiantly protected a life ago. Now all that was left to do was to exact retribution on those that took all he held dear in the world.

The Noxian dog looked up at Varus with semi-living arrows writhing between his shoulder blades and below his right lung, taking in his visage. A pale purple skinned man with silvery hair wearing a red scarf and a pale circlet, containing a single red gem in the center, that wrapped around his head. Over his heart he wore a talisman that belonged to his family. His dead family. With one last effort, the Noxian spat towards Varus. The spit landed on his foot making a sizzling sound as the saliva was burned away.

 _Noxians. Always so stubborn. Even in defeat._

The man laughed at the futility of his last act of defiance, spitting up blood and clutching the arrow protruding below his lung. "Get on with it then you bloody git. You better hit me right this time, or so help me-" Varus' arrow went into the man's skull.

In the back of his mind, he felt a spark die out. Another life snuffed out. Another Noxian dead. Curse or Blessing, the soul damming powers that he had surrendered to and inherited had given him the means to fulfill his vengeance. Like a blood hound with a scent, Varus could feel the targets of his retribution scattered all across Ionia. The closest tugged at him like a fish caught on a line.

Feeling nothing left keeping him in this region, he went off into the night following his hunter instincts with the only thing left to drive him. Exterminate all Noxians in his beloved Ionia.


	5. Chapter 5

Twelve days have passed since Riven and her new found company left the hill lands. It was an awkward union to be sure. With the exception of Danni, Arn's group was less welcoming then they had been in accepting her let alone lead them. Ultimately, she did manage to convince them to trust in her lead.

With the exception of freckled faced Danni, dark haired Ella and the pretty boy Keenan, the rest of her company had made camp for the night in a small clearing in the mountainous woods. Off to the side Robb sat on an upstanding rock with a bow beside him keeping watch on. Around the fire sat Luc and across from him the youth Bran. Maude, with her golden braid, sat carelessly beside Luc with legs outstretched to warm her booted feet by the fire. Riven was leaning onto a tree trunk with Arn, her de facto second, on one side and her sword planted into the ground on the other. Stuck well into the ground and behind Bran was a wooden shaft with a tattered white cloth tied to it.

"Rodents." One-eyed Luc said in a voice that was permanently stuck on irritation. "Rodents last night and the night before that and rodents again tonight. Just waiting to die a shriveled husk."

"Well can you wait in silence?" Bran retorted to the elder former solider. "Better yet, take that meat out of your mouth and go shrivel off somewhere else."

Spittle coming out of the old fighter's mouth, Luc pointed a half cleaned rabbit leg at the younger man. "You respect your elders boy. I'm not so old that I can't break in some manners into that ugly mug of yours."

"As much as we'll all enjoy watching you practice paternal love on young Bran here, I think the rest of us would rather you didn't harm our best hunter." Darly said flicking a bone into the campfire. "Though to be fair lad, I am feeling a bit thin. Can feel my ribs rubbing against my insides." Luc used that to further fuel his argument. Bran was abandoned to argue with a cantankerous old fool.

It only took one day for Riven to learn that Darly was a mischievous urchin at heart. At times such as these when her new found companions would argue over something trivial and idiotic Darly would continue to goad both sides. Luckily it was all in good fun. Everyone else not engaged in the heated discussion took it as evening entertainment. Rarely the situation ever got physicald, or at least they never went beyond an exchange of a couple of punches thanks to a bit of intervention.

The ex-master at arms defended his behavior with "A bit of open rivalry helps vent ourselves and helps keep us sharp. Besides, it keeps every other night interesting." And every other night it was. The episode between Ella and Keenan involved much hair pulling from both sides.

Riven was only half listening to the ongoing verbal sparring, it was an ongoing list of a series of Luc's complaints anyways. She had thoughts elsewhere.

Nine days ago her party had traveled south and east into the Ionian province of Sha-Mui. In those nine days Keenan brought back a rumor from a small town while on a supply run. For nearly a month now there had been tales of farms being plundered and burned, of lone peddler carts getting ambushed in the dark and small villages getting sacked and despoiled throughout the province. The word was that it was due to an ever growing number of outlaws roaming the countryside. However Keenan did hear the phrase 'Noxian bandits' more then what was comfortable.

"Aye, when last we were in Sha-Mui there were always the odd tale of highwaymen and farm robbers. What country doesn't have a rouge element in it?" Arn had said. "That being said, when we were down here, it was a rare thing to hear people blame us for those attacks. I don't think I've ever seen the people mouth Noxus this far north of the province."

 _And now they are_. Riven thought. It came to no surprise when Keenan brought news of hunting parties being formed for these outlaws. He had been very particular on his wording. He reported that no public official he had witnessed clearly said that these outlaws were Noxians. Clearly the officials didn't want to stir too much of a panic until they are absolutely sure that Noxians were roaming their countryside as bandits. _By then who knows how barren this land will become._

She knew it was an over exaggeration. Arn had assured her that the largest group he had ever seen numbered thirty five. Yet who knew how many groups of thirty five were in Sha-Mui now? That question and memories of helpless villagers fleeing her helped fuel the image of the worst possible outcome.

That was how instead of intimidating some lone merchants cart out of their wears, Riven and company were spending their nights in the wooded mountain side, searching for these outlaws. The region overlooked by the lone mountain had become a prime raid spot and the mountain itself seemed to be the perfect hideout. Between her and Arn, they assumed that the odds that they were Noxians were eight to two. If they weren't, then at least they could hope for a monetary reward for them. From the tone of the former quartermaster, Riven suspected that he would have rather it be the latter. Whether or not they are Noxians to begin with was the least of Riven's worries right now.

Worst case scenario, they get jumped on first and get killed. Best case, Riven and her small band find the rogues first and they all join hands when the sun rises. Arn had very vocally voiced his doubts that it would all end so smoothly.

A birdcall from the north made Riven look up and every made a move for their weapons. She drew her broken sword from the ground as Arn did the same for his worn hatchet. Robb and Bran went for their bows and a handful of stone tipped arrows just as Maude got up with a smithy's hammer she had stolen and Luc with a rusted axe.

The hooting of the mourn owl is not native to Ionia but to Noxus. It has long been used by the scout division as a signal. One hoot meant an incoming friendly company. One more meant incoming foes.

Riven stood there with sword at the ready and counting to five with a feeling of anxiety growing. She hoped that by the time she counted five there would be nothing but silence. Best case, one of the three scouts came back with more of her wayward countrymen. An alternative was if they came back alone which would only bother Riven just for the fact that they would have to spend another night in these woods. When she counted five a second birdcall came.

"Eyes wide." She said sharply at the same time Arn did in his gravelly voice. She looked at the man askance.

"Sorry Commander. Old habits die hard."

"At least we're on the same page."

"I just hope this isn't our last."

"I see movement!" Robb sounded, pointing to the darkness.

"Watch out backs." Riven called out to Bran and Luc as the rest of them faced the direction that Robb was pointing at with weapons raised. Enemies coming in and she could not tell how far they were. If they went past their scouts then at the very least her companions could pincer the oncoming force between her scouts. Riven eyed the miserable excuse of a white standard stabbed into the ground. _I suppose talking was never really an option_. She thought slightly vexed.

A minute passed as they all stood in the camp light staring out into the darkness, searching for signs of movement in the surrounding woods when a small pebble landed nearby them and rolled towards her feet. Picking it up, Riven felt a carved 'X' on it, the agreed upon signal for a returning runner. She gave a whistle and started to count. When she got to five Ella came panting out of the forest. Everyone eased up, but not by much.

"How many did you see? How far?" Riven inquired the black haired woman as she gave her arm for support.

Ella waved her hand away for the arm. "I counted up to ten and they'll be here in about ten minutes. They don't seem to be in much of a hurry."

 _Maybe talking isn't totally out then. But just in case…_

"How well armed are they?"

"It's no contest. We got rusted trash and while they have proper iron." Ella replied grimly.

"We got a magic sword." Bran chimed in with bow nocked.

"A magic _broken_ sword." Arn added.

"Get Maude here a forge and she'll give us all something passable." Luc said, giving his bit.

" _You_ promised me a forge in a cart Luc. Backing out already?" Maude replied snidely.

"I'm not..!"

"Now is not the time." Riven cut in. She turned to face Ella again who was hiding a laugh behind her hand. "Danni and Keenan?"

"If they know what they are doing, they should be wrapping around them, ready to turn them to pin cushions."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Riven said, cueing her companions to be silent and wait in the flickering light of their fire with the white standard swaying in the night breeze.

Seconds slowly turned into the minutes as Riven stood her ground with her sword in her gauntleted hand, eyes scanning for any shapes in the dark and ears listening for any disturbance in the forest. Patience was key here. Patience for their possible enemies to come to them, and patience for right moment to strike first if it ever came to that. Muscle bound Luc seemed to not cope well with the waiting and began muttering to himself. Some things she caught like him calling them 'sons of goats' and 'gonna make them eat their own teeth.'

 _At least he's not running off yelling bloody murder_. She thought.

"You mind speaking up there old timer?"

Riven turned her head to the direction of the sudden voice just as Robb and Bran pointed their nocked bows towards it, arrows aimed into the darkness. Luc spat on the ground and turned towards it.

"Luc. Bran. Keep an eye on our backs." she said, just loud enough for everyone around the fire to hear. The old solider gave a contemptuous insult before turning. She left it in the air if it was meant for her or the stranger's voice.

"We only wish to talk!" she shouted into the darkness. "You clearly didn't come here to fight or else we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"Who says we didn't come for a fight?" The voice said, full of cocky confidence. "Maybe we wanted to chat some before we gut you all. We don't really get many visitors. Especially visitors who go prancing in the mountains carrying a white flag. I'm assuming that's what that night shift on a stick is for? Rarer still, visitors sounding off Noxian birds."

"A chat you say?" Riven called out towards the voice. "Yet you hide like cravens! Have you turned yellow over these longs years away from our homeland?"

"You got a mouth on ya, I'll give ya that." The voice responded with offense clear in his voice. "Let's see how well that mouth moves when me and my boys-"

Riven cut the voice off, seeing this going nowhere. "Fight us now, and all that will be left will be your corpses. If, and I really mean _if_ , you do manage to cut us all down what will you have to show for it? Doubtless you have been watching us. You know we carry nothing of value. At least nothing to lose bodies over. Like I said we only wish to talk."

After a long silence the voice returned. "It is true. I've seen urchins with more gold then your sad troupe. But I can't say you haven't piqued some interest in us. You want to talk? Then talk."

"Only if you come out and speak to me face to face."

"After you bring your little squirrels into the light. I count eight of you. I want to see the whole ten."

"You first."

"Alright." The voice said without delay.

The sudden agreement took Riven aback. She suddenly became very wary of these strangers. What game were these people playing?

"That was too easy." Arn whispered to her.

"Stay back and be ready for anything." She whispered back. Before Arn could retort Riven took a step forward and planted her sword in the ground. To the darkness she shouted "Come out slowly! All of you!" The voice agreed and slowly they came.

Strolling leisurely out of the darkness and into the light was a short balding man that only reached up to Riven's eyes. Following him was an entourage of nine others. Some wore simple cloth clothes while others wore leather jerkins. Fewer still had some piece of plate armor, some of Ionian origin and some of Noxian. On each of their belts Riven spotted a variety of weapons: maces with spherical heads, axes with a curved blade on one side and a spike on the other and swords that had tassels on the ends of their handles. Ella was right, their weapons really did put their own to shame. Then again she doubted any of them had any magical influence.

The newcomers stopped advancing once they got into clear view of Riven's party with the exception of their short leader. He wore simple piece of leather armor with the only distinguishing feature was a gilded segmented pauldron of Ionian origin. On his belt he carried an ornate mace whose head seemed to bear the visage of some kind of demon. He stopped within arm's reach of her before speaking.

"And who might I be speaking to?" The man inquired as Riven's party broke out of their huddled formation and lined up behind her.

"Riven." She replied staring down at him. "And you are?"

The short man opened his mouth to speak but then put on a much exaggerated face of confusion. He moved his finger to count the heads of the people present on her side. Riven felt an urge to step on his foot.

"Hmm, now I'm not the best counter but it appears that you are short a few heads. I do seem to remember you agreeing to pull back _all_ your little friends."

Placing two fingers in her mouth Riven gave a whistle that made every one turn their heads away. She rather enjoyed that brief second of eye bulging from the shorter man. After some minutes Danni and Keenan emerged from the forest, joining with the rest of the group behind Riven. "All accounted for. Your name now."

"Names Engward, friends call me Ward." The short man said, entirely too carefree to Riven's liking. "Now you said you wanted to talk?"

"I do." She replied eyeing the new company. "Is this all of you?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. What does it matter?"

"I would prefer it if your entire party could listen to-"

"And I'd prefer to be lying down in a bed with a wench in each arm so I guess nothing is-"

"You do realize that you are being hunted, right!" Riven interrupted with extreme agitation in her voice.

"Wouldn't be the first." Ward said, caressing the handle on his mace. "And wouldn't be the last. Right boys!" The men behind him gave a cheer.

"Do you know who your talking to!" Danni exclaimed stepping forward. Ward's group had their hands on their weapons in seconds. Arn and the others grew tenser as they took a step forward. It was only a raised hand from both Riven and Ward that stayed any violence. Riven glared the fiery red head but she paid no mind. "This is Ri-"

"I heard her the first time girl!" Ward snapped. "Pretty Riven. Riven of the Blacksword. Role model for all the young recruits. Well, that and something for the lads to shake their prick at." The line behind him gave a wave of chuckles. "And since I'm speaking from the heart, let me just say that I think that you are a sham girl. I bet you ain't never had to get dirt on those dainty little hands of yours."

Danni took another step forward to undoubtedly chew the short man up but Arn placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder to restrain her. Riven closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"You better watch your tongue Engward." Arn said, staring down at the man with cold eyes and a voice of grave seriousness. "I've seen her in action. I've seen her cut down several soldiers all alone, despite that busted looking sword of hers, and I can say that she is the genuine article and not some dainty lass."

Riven spoke before Ward could waste anymore of the night. "We are on a time limit. As we speak, Ionian hunting parties are looking for you." That much she knew. What she didn't know was how far they were. She hoped they were days off yet. "I don't doubt that you will defeat them, but I do doubt that it will come without a cost. So, before there are fewer of you here, I wish to speak to allof you. I want to see both out two parties become one. So I ask again, is this all of you?"

Ward put his hand to his mouth and looked at her consideringly. "That's why you came up here?" He asked disbelievingly. Riven nodded. The short man gave a shrug. "Well luckily for me, I'm not really in charge of these sad sacs so I can't make this whole 'becoming one' decision. Unless… " Turning himself to face his companions he said. " How bout you fellas, you want to become part of the poster kids here." Ward's friends began to laugh until Riven had the short man's neck in her gauntleted fist. He clawed at her hand trying to free himself but she did not relent. She heard weapons being unsheathed and felt her companions advance from behind her.

"Get them to stand down." She whispered into Ward's ear, easing on her grip just enough so that he could gargle a command. His companions looked amongst themselves unsure but conceded when Ward gave the command a second time. "Now you listen to me." she muttered to him. "I spent enough time in this mountain looking for you. That said, I do not have time to spare humoring you and your insults. Now, I am going to ask you some questions and I want some simple answers or I am going to crush your throat like a rotten apple. Understand?" She wasn't really, but fear and intimidation seemed to be working better than civil demeanor. Ward's raspy agreement was proof of that.

"Now, are there more of you?" Ward nodded

"Will you take me to them?" Another nod.

"Are my hands 'dainty'?"

"What are-" was all Ward got out before Riven dug her fingers deeper into the sides of his neck. "Gah-ah! No! You got hands like a bear! A fierce, majestic, mother bear!"

Riven let go, making him stumble backwards coughing and rubbing his throat now marked with a red handprint. "Dammit woman! You could have just asked!"

"You should have quit the games." Riven replied while dusting off her hands. Ward opened his mouth only to get a challenging glare from her.

"Well c'mon then. I bet the rest of the lads will just love you as much as I." He rasped, rubbing his neck. "This goes without saying, but when you meet the boss man-"

"We are not letting you take our weapons." She said, drawing out the sword from the ground.

"Ha! I was gonna say to show some more respect then what you showed me. I doubt anyone of use will take you seriously with those scraps of metal." Ward's cackle quickly turned into a vicious cough. Turning to his companions, he motioned for them to start moving out.

"Where did you learn to negotiate? In the middle of a tavern brawl?" Arn asked in a voice so that only Riven could hear.

"You think you could have done better?" She questioned as her group prepared to leave their camp.

"No. But I don't think we are out of the woods yet." Riven looked around them with a raised eyebrow and a slight hint of a smirk. "You know what I mean. I don't think this Engward fellow is entirely truthful."

"Agreed. Keep your hands ready for a fight in case they try something. Though I don't seen any real reason why they would."

"Besides you leaving that love mark on Engward?"

"Besides that yes."

It did not take long for Riven's party to leave the campsite. It only took a few short minutes for them to gather what few belongings they had and light some hastily made torches before smothering the fire. Of the latter Riven half expected Ward to make some kids of cutting remark just to get under her skin. They made only three with Darly, Luc and Maude to carry them. Riven wanted her scouts to have their hands free for their bows in case Ward was leading them to some overelaborate trap. The route that the short bald man was taking them did little to dissuade that feeling.

For hours they followed Ward's party, making more turns then she was comfortable with. A little too frequent they serpentined their way in the woods and more than once Ward had them all climb up jagged rock faces only to have them slide back down shrub covered slopes. When she voiced her concern Ward assured them that it was to avoid the dens of nearby predators. That reminded Riven of the time when she took refuge in a forest cave only to have the mountain lion that called it home return. That night she got a new set of scars on her back and a meal that lasted for a week. Regardless, Riven was not entirely convinced by the man. Eventually, finally, the train of bodies stopped when Ward raised a fist to signal for the halt.

"About time." Keenan muttered slightly exasperated.

"Why do you care? Not like you got a boy waiting for you." Luc said to the younger man. Keenan merely sighed, not rising Luc's goading. Maude gave the scarred man a slap on the head and Riven heard something about 'learning the proper time and place.' Through the darkness, it looked like Ward was going to throw in a jab of his own but turned away rubbing his throat.

Minutes passed in the torch lit darkness when they heard the sound of boots crunching against the forest floor. Whoever was making the sound was intentionally making his approach slow and not the least bit hostile. Regardless Riven still kept her guard up, easing her arms to be ready to draw her sword. Stepping into the torchlight was the source of the noise. Facing Ward was a tall grizzled man easily two heads taller then Riven, a living image of a mountain man. His most distinguishing features besides his tangled brown beard, was the tiger skin he wore making his head appear like it was in its maw.

"Bout bloody time you came." Ward rasped. "What took you?" The larger of the two stared the other down for a lengthy amount of time before answering.

"I don't wait on you Engward. I listen to Klint." He said slowly, each word spoken having an edge in it. Ward clearly had a retort but the larger man very intentionally walked into him, nearly pushing Ward into the ground. He stopped once in front of Riven, staring down at her. "You in charge of this mangy pack?"

"I am." Riven replied meeting his gaze. "And you are?"

"Not important." The bearded man said. "Klint is waiting." Not waiting for them, the large man turned towards back the way he came. Liking the situation less and less, Riven sullenly followed with Ward's group covering the rear.

Up they climbed, traversing through the wood and onto a dust covered path wide enough for three to cross abreast that clung and snaked around the mountain. As they made their way up, Riven surveyed the valley below them. From her vantage point she saw the forest below them, the canopy resembling black clouds in the night. In the distance she could make out the fires of the surrounding towns. Yet something seemed out of place.

"We're here."

The mountain man's sudden interruption made Riven lose her train of thought. _That's not important right now._ She thought to herself as she climbed the final steps up the sloping path. Before her was a large clearing with a shriveled tree stretching out into the open air, pointing towards the stars. Further on she could see that the path continued and to her left was the mouth of the cave. Standing in front of the cave were two men wearing worn jerkins over chain mail. The one closest to her carried a crossbow while the other a bow. The mountain man paid them no mind and went into the cave. Riven followed his lead. No one seemed to stop her. _At least we are expected._ She motioned for a torch.

Descending into the darkness she felt her anxiety grow and not for the first time tonight was imagining the worst possible case. _I am net letting my comrades die._

After the fourth bend Riven began to hear the sound of a running stream and men talking. At the fifth bend she was in a straight tunnel with light coming from the chamber at the end. As she approached the next room she saw two men stand to bar their way.

"Give them you weapons." The mountain man said in flat tones.

"We didn't come here to fight. We just came to talk."

"Give them your weapons or I will take them." Riven did not like it but it seemed the only way to progress further. Tossing torch aside, she took off blade and sheath off her back she handed it to the two guards who then let her pass into the next room. Her companions followed her lead though she felt their reluctance to.

The torchlit chamber ahead was a circular room with a stream of water flowing through the left wall that proceeded to run along the middle of the room dividing it in two. Following the stream was the entrance to another descending cavern. All along the walls of the chamber were armed and rugged men and women who looked to be in the middle of rolling up their bedrolls in preparation to leave though clearly in no rush. At the far end of the chamber was a ledge that easily oversaw the entirety of the room. Sitting on the edge of that ledge was a clean shaven man with black hair that covered his shoulders. He looked to be of height of the mountain man. Lodged into the ground below him was a greataxe as tall as him. The axe head had only one cutting edge that was shaped as a half crescent with the point curving down. The other side of the head was only blunt steel.

As Riven and her party approached the edge of the small stream she felt the attention of everyone she passed eye her and her company. Excluding Ward's men, the four guards they passed, and the mountain man she counted eight others so far. Giving the man on the ledge another brief glance she saw a striking resemblance between him and the mountain man. _Brothers?_ , she thought. From the way every eye was now them now she hoped that they looked as intimidating as this new crowd. Riven had her eyes focused on the man on the ledge, waiting for him to speak.

"So. You're the ones stalking about my mountain." The man said in feigned amusement. "If you came here to join my merry band then I'm going to have to see which one of you is going to be worth keeping. We only take those that can carry their own weight. We don't need only helpless mouths to feed"

"My name is Riven." She said as she stepped up towards the edge of the stream. The man quirked an eyebrow on recognizing her name.

"The poster child?" he said with a hint of disbeleif. Riven sighed.

"Yes, and I take it that you are Klint and the leader of this … merry band?"

"I am on both counts. Seems my brother Lew mentioned me. Mentioned only good things I hope?" Again with the false sincerity.

"Only the name." Riven replied, impatient to get on with why she came here.

"I swear he was more talkative in the past, before he got routed by these peaceable Ionians. Lost his memory and wondered the wilds for six months. Only found him recently and he doesn't even remember my face, which is his face without that nest mind you. He's a complete stranger now but I keep him around for the muscle. Tell me Riven, have you ever been routed by Ionians before?"

"I have." She answered testily. The memories of the dying began to worm their way into her head. She shook them off, focusing on the now.

"Embarrassing really, getting bested by these peace loving sons of goats."

"Then you must be dying of shame right now. Hiding from the Ionians like the outlaws you are." She said in a cool voice. Klint clenched his fists and the crowd around her seemed to grow restless. She paid them no mind. In a voice that carried throughout the room she continued, "I did not come here to reminisce on a failed invasion."

"You watch your tone with me girl." Klint said in a foreboding voice but Riven did not stop.

"I came here so that we can fix what was broken. Two years ago we lost. Noxus lost. All the victories and lands we gained? Gone and meaningless. And now? Now we are stranded and scattered across this foreign land as outlaws, living lives as petty thieves just to make it to the next day. I came here, looking for _you_ , so that we might end those days and become whole once more. So that we night return home. All of us, together, as fellow brothers and sisters in arms. As fellow countrymen."

Riven did not look around her to see if she stirred the hearts of the crowd around her, she was not the best of speakers. Instead she focused all her attention on Klint, waiting for his reaction. What she got was a man who burst out laughing when he realized she finished. His cohorts laughed with him though it only really amounted to a choir of chuckles and not the raucous laughter of disbelief. Had it been so, Riven believed she would have crossed the stream and bashed Klint's head in with her fists. The only exception was Lew who watched everything in detached silence.

"You have big dreams girl." Klint said when he finally caught his breath. "I suppose after we are all one big happy family we go skipping off into the sunlight on our way back home. Is that really how you see things will play out?" He gave another wry laugh. "Do you really think you were the first to come up with that ridiculous notion? I've seen better men then you try that. Joined with companies harder than your sorry excuse of a party. And you know what happened to them?"

"They failed." Riven answered in solemn tones. For a moment she saw something in Klint. Something that resonated with her, made her empathize with him.

"They failed. Failed and died as they saw their dreams of home slip through their last breathe." The larger man shook his head. "I've had enough of dreams. _We_ have had enough of dreams. We are content with the reality that we are lost here. Might as well take as many of these bloody Ionians as we can with us to the other side." The sound of footsteps running up the stream made him and Riven turn their heads to the other cavern entrance. Running into the main chamber were two haggard looking men carrying bows and shortswords. "How long?" Klint asked them.

"Three hours I think." Replied one of the scouts.

Riven got a terrible feeling about this. Suddenly it came to her. The firelights she saw while climbing the mountain, one group was much too close. _No. Not now,_ she thought. A hunting party was coming for them. She became very aware that she was unarmed right at that moment.

"Klint our weapons! The Ionians are coming! If you are not willing to join me then at the very least let us help you fight them back!" Klint's laughter made her stare wide eyed at him. She hoped it was some mad battle fervor but a large part of her knew better. "You knew they would come here tonight." she said in a betrayed voice.

Standing up from the ledge Klint looked down at her in smug triumph. The look a thug would give to a cornered street urchin. "I had hoped that those bloody peace loving dogs would follow the trail I left them. A large part of it was that light show you put up."

 _Light show? What-?_ Riven swiveled her head to glare at Ward who just shrugged with a grin on his dumb bloody face. The torches they carried and the prolonged and roundabout path they took, the Ionians must certainly have spotted the and literally used them as a guiding light. _Why would they have planned this? What were they after?_ She voiced as much to Klint.

"I really don't have any reason to not tell you, and it seems that we have some time on our hands." Klint said in a very matter of the fact voice. "The short of it is one particular pack of hunters has been tracking us down. I want that to end. This mountain would have become their graves, and perhaps some of our own. But then in comes your curious group. They are looking for Noxians, and you are undoubtedly Noxians. By the time they come here, you will all be dead. A disagreement between outlaws gone out of hand will be all these Ionians will see while we get away with no dogs tailing us. Though I do detest leaving some of our hard earned loot here to complete the farce. " With a wave of his hand all of Klint's men had their weapons raised, ready to massacre them all.

Behind her she heard her companions curse Klint, curse their murderers. She heard some say it was a mistake to let her lead, that her goal was nothing but a fools dream. Riven did not even try to put a face to those voices. She could not.

 _Not again. I am not letting them die again._

 _Adin, Cera, Tess…_

The list of the dead began rolling down in her head as she shouted up at Klint with her arms outstretched. "Coward! Come down here and face me yourself!" Her shout silenced her companions and she felt the attention of everyone in the room. Klint's face also showed surprise. Perhaps at the outrageous demand or that such a loud voice came out of her. Regardless she had their attention. "If you are going to give the order to kill, then at least come down here and share the burden. Have you gone so soft that you can't even swing an axe?!"

Klint narrowed his eyes "Men! If you kill this white haired harlot first thenfirst pick of loot goes to whoever gives me her heart!"

"Do it yourself!" Riven roared at him, taking another step forward. "Claim my beating heart with your own hands. Or perhaps I scare you? Is the great Klint afraid of some poster girl? Afraid of an _unarmed_ woman." she turned to face the murderous crowd behind her. "Can you all really follow a man, a _warrior_ , who would shy away from the challenges a woman?" Riven let that sink in for a moment. It occurred to her why she felt a moment of empathy toward Klint. Like her, he was broken on the inside. Him and his companions. His bravado put up a good show but she knew that the man had no dreams in the slightest, no sense to strive for something greater. He was stranded here and an outlaw now. This was his life now, no changing that. He lost everything and was looking for a death only he thought was acceptable.

"Are you all so weak that you can't even raise your arms to grasp a helping hand that is offered to you?! I promise you that I will bring us all back together or die trying!" she turned back to Klint. "What does your magnificent leader promise you? Another hole to hide in! Another night to get cold in! Another day of being petty outlaws! Klint says that you have all tried to gather our forlorn kin! Are you all so broken that you can't even stand to try again! Or perhaps you are all tired old men that want nothing more to suck on pipe smoke." Granted some, a handful, did have grey in their hair. Yet they were soldiers. Warriors of Noxus. At least that's what she hoped.

Riven was not displeased at what she saw in Klint. The man's eyes were scanning the crowd behind her, eyes bulging. When he directed his gaze to her she saw nothing but contempt. Contempt at the humiliation, contempt at the truth.

He dropped down from the ledge, landing beside the greataxe that was planted into the ground. "You worthless sacks of bloody worm food!" he yelled at them, drawing out the axe from the ground. "You must all have the yellow hearts of poets to fall for this broad's words. Someone toss her a weapon. I will not have it said I cut down a challenger unarmed.

 _At least he has that much of honor left in him._ she thought sourly as a woodcutters axe was tossed to her. Around her the crowd backed off, giving Riven and Klint room for their impromptu dual. She did not fail to notice that her companions had gathered themselves as close to the way they came as possible. There were five bodies between them and the tunnel.

 _Always have a way out_. Riven thought to herself as she spun the axe in her gloved hand to get a feel for its weight.

"You know I'm right." Riven said in a voice only she and Klint could hear as they circled each other. "What you have now, nothing will become of it. Stop this. We can still work together."

He spat, "Keep your fancies to yourself. This world hates dreamers." and charged at her.

Klint came in swinging the great blade intending to cleave her from the shoulder down. She jumped back from the blow, letting the greataxe to lodge itself into the dirt. Seeing her chance she dashed forward to cleave the man's head into. That was a mistake. Klint held the axe with one hand at the bottom of the shaft and the other at the top and charged forward, plowing the blade through the ground bringing up dust and gravel. He collided the top end of the blade into Riven's right side. She let out a gasp as got thrown to the side, ribs broken by the impact. Using her hatchet for support she stood up coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"All talk. Just as I thought." Klint was not grinning when he walked towards her.

 _Come on girl. You've bested men better than him._

Spitting out the last of the blood in her mouth, Riven made a stance. Using her off hand she motioned for Klint to come forward. He grunted before coming in for another charge. Again he swung down and she jumped to right. Landing sent a jolt of pain running up her side but she bit back the pain as Klint came in for another swing, going for her middle. She felt the steel just brush on her clothes as she stumbled backwards. She landed on her back clutching her side with one arm and letting out a gasp of pain. Staring up she saw the glint of satisfaction in the man's eyes as he stood over her. Grunting, Klint brought the weapon over his head. Riven clenched her axe in her gloved hand and swung the weapon into his belly, burying it in his innards.

Klint cried out as the blow forced him to bend back. His greataxe fell behind him as he let go to pull the hatchet out of him. Riven scrambled to get off the ground. Klint pulled the hatchet from out of him, tossing it to the side with a stream of blood following the work tool, a went onto his kneels to stop the bleeding as best as he could. The list of the dead sounding in her head stopped when she stood over the kneeling man. She spared him a sorrowful glance before panting over to the bloodied axe he had thrown away.

Picking it up, she took a breath and turned to the crowd and pointed the glistening red weapon to them. "Our weapons." She said in commanding tones.

"Don't you dare!" Klint yelled growing paler by the second. His comrades looked torn between following the orders of the victor or their former boss. It was Lew who set things straight.

"You heard her. Give them their weapons back." Klint set his head back down, shaking it disbelievingly. In short order her comrades were given their possessions back and stood alongside her. Riven tossed the bloodied hatchet away when Danni brought back her sword.

"Well that certainly was something." Arn said slightly breathless. "We done here?"

"Maybe." she replied, taking her time to steady her breathing. How her bloody sides hurt. It took great effort to not hold them.

Taking out her broken blade she rested it on her shoulder and studied the people before her. "We are leaving." she announced after a time. She saw eyebrows raise and eyes widen. Lew stared at her with open curiosity, like seeing a rabbit eating alongside an eagle. Riven only took one step forward before Ward jumped forward from the crowd.

"The bloody hell you are!" he rasped, his voice sounding very strained. "What happened to all that talk about 'making us whole again'?!"

"I meant every word." Riven said in a calm voice. "I intend to find every last stranded Noxian in this country and bring us all back home, or die trying." Looking at them all she took a breath for one more speech.

"You are all broken. Broken and lost. Forlorn brothers and sisters. You have all wandered with no purpose. No goals. Nothing but the thought of 'surviving another day' filling your heads. That is no way to live. That is not how Noxians live! Our people strive to conquer any obstacle but you? You are all cowering in holes with empty hearts. I said it before and I'll say it again. Join me and I swear I will find all of our lost kin and bring us home!" Klint's old brigade turned to one another, murmuring to each other. Riven stood patiently, waiting for their answer.

"That went better then when you said it on use." Arn murmured so only Riven could hear.

"Practice makes perfect." she replied with a hint of mirth.

Lew was the first to step forward, taking only seconds to decide. The man did not so much as look at his brother collapse from blood lose.

"It is better to travel in groups." was all he said when Riven eyed him. Slowly, the rest followed. A few she saw had the glint of hope in their eyes but most wore the expression that they chose the lesser of two evils. She would have to change that. She will not have any half commitments to her cause. A hoarse throat clearing brought everyone's attention onto Ward who stood in the middle of her new companions.

"As much as I hate ruining a good moment," he said in a strained voice. "I think we should address the looming problem of those Ionians that are riding up this mountain."

"They are still a ways off." said the scout that spotted them. "I'm sure we can slink off-"

"No." Riven said in a commanding voice. These Ionians might actually be a blessing in disguise. "If we run now then they will pick up our tracks again. We must end them here." That rankled her but that seemed the best course. Pointing to the scout she asked "What is your name?"

"Warren boss-"

"Commander to you." Arn broke in. "To all of you!" he repeated so that everyone could hear.

"Commander. The name's Warren Commander." The scout said hesitantly unsure how to feel about the use of ranks. They were outlaws now, not soldiers. Riven will remind them that they still are soldiers.

"Did you count how many there are?" she asked the scout.

"Me and Jorry counted forty of them going through the woods below. Ten are outside the forest holding their mounts."

"And you said they will be here in three hours?" Riven asked. The two scouts nodded. "You two, Warren and Jorry was it? Can you sneak past ten others past the Ionians?"

"We can… but I thought we were fighting?"

"A different fight. I want you guys to lead Arn and his team out of the forest and towards that group of ten outside. Take their mounts and whatever else you think we can carry. If they surrender, do not kill them, take them in and let me decide what's next." She felt the eyes of her new companions stare at her and she knew what they were thinking. She must be soft to give that order. Riven didn't care. She remembered the villages and towns she leveled and their helpless occupants. _No killing the helpless_.

"Five of you will stick with me, the rest I want in two groups wait outside the entrances. When those Ionians come in I want you to follow them and box them in this room. Make sure you give them enough time to get to this room"

"You're using yourself as bait?" Ward said disbelievingly.

"I am." Let them see her resolve. "If they all come in through one entrance, I'll send a runner to the other for reinforcements. Any questions?" No one objected. "Then move!"

In short order Arn's group along with Warren and Jorry were making their way down the cavern were the stream flowed followed by Lew and eight others followed. Ward went through the ascending path with then last eight leaving Riven alone with the last five.

Not for the first time in the past few hours did Ward question why he was still here. _I could leave now,_ he thought to himself, making his way up the dusty steppes of the mountain and back into the caves. _This lot would follow me. I've known them for a long while now. Besides they don't really buy this bloody girls childish dreams. Returning home. Becoming whole again. HA!_

Ward was at the cave entrance now. He stood there pondering one last time, knowing that if he went down there, he'd be stuck eyes deep in the muck. _It's been a whole five minutes since I saw those Ionians go down. The whole forty! No way that bloody white haired madwoman and the monster Lew survived._

The sound of frantic footsteps running from the cave made his eyes go wide.

"Here they come!" someone said behind him and he heard the sound of weapons coming out.

 _Oh bloody hell! Bleed me dry and burn my skin!_ he thought as he pulled out the demon faced mace. Supposedly the thing made one fearless in battle. Maybe it did for all Ward felt was deep regret he had not leaved sooner.

His group backed away from the cave entrance, forming an arc around it to trap in anyone coming out. Sure enough, out of the cave came running a crazed eyed Ionian, blood streaked on his face. Ward liked the gold pendant he wore. Running up he swung the mace making the demon face kiss the side of man's head. The Ionian fell to the side, brains spilling onto the floor. Five more came up and were quickly put down by his friends. Only five. He stared disbelievingly at the people around him.

 _No._ he thought as he hurriedly made his way down.

When he got to the main chamber, the room that madwoman made her tomb he froze, utterly dumbfounded at what he was seeing. He saw the floor littered with the corpses of those Ionians that came to hunt them down. The worst of them were cleaved completely in half with innards and blood soaking the ground.

Lew's party was present in the room, a runner must have got to them. Blood stained that accursed man's tiger pelt making dark spots on it. He was staring at Riven with something of respect. They all were. And really, as much as he didn't like to admit it, he couldn't blame them.

At the center of the carnage was Riven. She was on her knees clutching the side that Klint had bashed her with. The blood had dyed her snow white hair red and streaks of it ran across her face. It was a sight that would leave him cold at night he could tell.

Planted in the ground was her sword. Not the broken thing he had last seen but a black stone greatsword as tall as her. The blade and its runes glowed with a green that puts jades and emeralds to shame. He then realized that all the corpses on the ground were Ionian. Not a single Noxian had fallen here.

 _Beautiful,_ was all he thought when she stood up and raised her sword towards the ceiling. Engward made the right choice in staying. He did not remember opening his mouth to yell in triumph with her.


End file.
